OKS 1984-43, Jar and cover

Oviform jar with cylindrical, flat-topped cover. The base, part of the shoulder and the neck unglazed. On the sides, reserved on a cracked-ice pattern, two large leaf-shaped medallions, separated by scrolls. In one medallion a scholar and an attendant on a terrace near a banana tree, the scholar being offered an arrow vase with three arrows by another attendant, in the other bamboo and prunus sprays. The shoulder with a zigzag band, the sides of the cover with emblems, the top with a lotus scroll, all reserved on a cracked-ice pattern.

This jar was recovered from an unidentified Asian ship that sunk in the South China sea. Its cargo was salvaged by Captain Michael Hatcher and thus called the Hatcher junk. The cargo was dated through a cyclical date corresponding to 1643 on two covers of oviform jars. There is a variety of scenes appearing in the leaf-shaped medallions of the jars from this wreck. The scene here depicted is an invitation to play touhu, whereby players attempt to throw arrows from a prescribed distance in the neck of the vase. At each miss the player is forced to drink. On the other side the scattered sprays are a decorative device characteristic of mid 17th century transitional porcelain. These popular ginger jars appear in Dutch 17th century still life paintings, notably in those of Willem Kalf. They are to be found in many public collections.