A Curious Find… The Japanese Cup

By Georgia Wilkinson

Narrated by Nicola Barranger

A curious new artefact has been discovered at Painshill. In April, the remnant of a porcelain cup or bowl was unearthed in a shallow spot beneath the yew trees on the western side of the lake. It is small and delicate, fitting nicely in the palm of the hand. And badly damaged – the top is missing and only a small section of the side curves up from the base. A hole perforates the bottom; a few millimetres lower and it would have destroyed the pretty image of three clouds. The decoration stands out, a beautiful shade of blue against a white background. It travels up the side of the bowl, but due to the significant damage, we can no longer discern the imagery.

The motifs resemble Edo or Meiji Japanese stylistic conventions which would date the piece to the 19^th century. Symbols reflecting the natural world were popular. Clouds, oceans, and water sprays were typical of the seascapes depicted. This type of porcelain or Arita-Yaki, uses a technique called Sometsuke, which refers to the high contrast of cobalt blue underglaze on a sharp white background.

The lack of an origin mark helps narrow down the period to which the piece belongs. After 1887, Japanese exports to Britain were required by the Merchandise Marks Act to display the word ‘Nippon’ (the native pronunciation of ‘Japan’), which served as an origin mark. This would suggest the artefact dates to the mid to late 19^th century from a generic workshop to satisfy Victorian demand for East Asian art. Alternatively, it may be a European ‘Delftware’ imitation, as many Dutch workshops reproduced as well as imported these Japanese designs.

As to the location of this piece, an interesting theory has been proposed that it was part of a broken and discarded bowl or tea cup from a Victorian picnic. It is endearing to imagine 19^th century visitors settling down beneath the yew trees after a long walk and enjoying a picnic, just as Painshill’s 21^st century visitors do today.

Acknowledgements

Roger Lawrence

Liz Manterfield

Cherrill Sands

Tracey Sharp