A fine pair of Kraak porcelain blue and white small bowls, each bowl with rounded sides and wide flattened everted rim and alternately barbed and scalloped edge painted in brilliant underglaze blue. The pair are decorated with a goose in a lotus pond in the well of the bowl emblematic of marital happiness and faithfulness because geese are believed to mate for life and always fly in pairs. The cavetto and rims divided into four panels decorated with shrubs, "Eight Treasures" and tiger head masks. The exterior decorated with circles and lines and three floral sprigs. The base bears an indecipherable shop mark within a circle in underglaze blue.
The term Kraak is a name given for this type of porcelain that was produced during the Wanli period and into the 17th century. Kraak is the Dutch name for the Portuguese/Spanish word carrack, a type of ship. The Dutch captured a Portuguese carrack in 1603 which was carrying a rich cargo including some of these types of porcelains. They were the first Chinese wares to reach Europe in any quantity.
明代 Ming Dynasty, 萬曆 Wanli Period (1573-1619)
Diameter:  6" (15.2cm)
Condition: Excellent
Literature: Similar bowls decorated variously inside with a goose, a scholar, and a horse are illustrated in Chinese Blue & White Ceramics, S.T. Yeo & Jean Martin, page 180, Plate 87.
Please refer to item #EX-226 when inquiring.