Lot 18 A JAPANESE FIGURE OF A BOY ON DRUM,1670-1690

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.

This rare figure closely resembles the famous pieces in the Burghley House Collection, Stamford. In the 1688 inventory of the House, 2 figures with juggs att 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