A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690 A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690 A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690 A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690 A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690

A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON A DRUM, 1670-1690

Reference: ART2001045

Figure of a boy on a drum, one leg drawn-up, with both hands grasping a tasseled cord that hold the double-gourd bottle on his back. A firing-hole in the left shoulder on the back. Unglazed flat base with textile imprint. Kakiemon, decorated in iron-red, green, black and overglaze blue enamels. The folds in the garment on the front enhanced in green and black, on the back a wisteria spray, on the bottle irregular spots.
Height 14 cm.

This rare figure closely resembles the famous pieces in the Burghley House Collection, Stamford. In the 1688 inventory of the House, 2 figures with jugs at their backs are mentioned, clearly indicating the pair that is still there. It is supposed to represent the Chinese Daoist Immortal Li Tieguai who has a double-gourd bottle as one of his attributes. This piece was broken in two and the thinness of the body and the moulding marks could be seen during restoration.

References: Ayers, Imprey & Mallet 1990, cat. 162; New York 1986, cat. 89; Shimizu 2002, p. 98; Impey 2002, cat. 71