D2516. Pair of Manganese and Blue Double-Gourd-Shaped Vases

Delft, circa 1680
Each marked SVE and numbered 4 in manganese for Samuel van Eenhoorn, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1678 until 1685

Each painted on the spherical lower body with a continuous scene depicting on the front two Asian men seated and conversing beside a man holding a pike and standing beside a youthful attendant bearing a dish, the reverse with a man carrying a large book under his arm, and on the baluster-form upper body with two men seated beneath a tree and conversing before a garden fence, the scenes separated by a flowering vine border between narrow foliate borders around the slightly flaring neck and footrim.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 23.3 cm. (9.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Kitty Valkier-Schreurs Collection, Belgium

NOTE
The gourd shape is associated with Taoist symbolism, representing the profound connection between heaven and earth, as well as immortality and transformation in Taoist magic. It was believed to be a vessel capable of containing elixirs or spirits. Whether Delft potters were aware of this deeper spiritual significance when adopting the gourd shape in their designs remains uncertain, as they may have simply been inspired by the aesthetic appeal of Chinese ceramics, rather than its symbolic meaning. Nonetheless, the use of this form suggests an appreciation of the exotic and the influence of Asia on European craftsmanship.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A pair of manganese and blue octagonal baluster vases marked SVE are in the collection of the Kunstmuseum, The Hague (inv. no. 0400473). Although of different model and decoration, they, and other examples, indicate that this group of blue-manganese objects, were mainly produced during the ownership of Samuel van Eenhoorn.