Apothecary's Bottle
Apothecary's Bottle
c. 1670-1680
Japan, Edo Period
(1615-1868)
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration
Overall: 41.3 cm (16 1/4 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1966.514
Location
Download and Share
Description
This white porcelain bottle is decorated with cobalt blue birds and flowers. While inspired by functional apothecary jars used in medieval pharmacies, this bottle was likely decorative. Its underside has the initials IC, which are almost certainly those of Johannes Camphuys (1634-1695), who was in charge of the Dutch East India Company’s operations in Deshima in 1671. During the Edo period, the Japanese government relegated Dutch traders to the man-made island of Deshima in Nagasaki harbor as a means of preventing European influence on the native population.
Contact us
The information about this object, including provenance information, is based on historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on objects is an ongoing process, but the information about this object may not reflect the most current information available to CMA. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
Is something not working on this page? Please email help.website@clevelandart.org.
Request a digital file from Image Services that is not available through CC0, a detail image, or any image with a color bar. If you have questions about requesting an image, please email imageservices@clevelandart.org.