Pair of Ovoid Blue and White Jars, Delft, circa 1695. Marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701, Object no. 2524. © Aronson Antiquairs

When creating these jars, the Delft potter likely used a Japanese imitation of Chinese porcelain as inspiration. While similar covered jars existed in Chinese porcelain, a civil war in China during the Ming-Qing transitional period (early 17th century) disrupted exports. This led Dutch merchants to seek alternatives, turning to Japan, where they introduced Dutch and Chinese examples for local potters to replicate. Though Japan’s porcelain production proved too costly, a significant amount of Japanese export porcelain entered the Dutch market starting in 1653—though it never reached the success of Chinese porcelain due to higher costs and lower quality.

The delicate vine-pattern decoration on these Delft jars is known as “Karakusa” in Japan, with “kara” referring to China and “kusa” meaning plant—acknowledging the Chinese origins of this intricate motif.