A Japanese Imari 'Parasol Ladies' dish after Cornelis Pronk, Edo, 18th C.

Dia.: 26,7 cm

Provenance: A Dutch private collection.  

In 1734, the Dutch East India Company commissioned Cornelis Pronk to produce designs for a set of China plates. This porcelain, so-called Chine de commande, was produced in China, then shipped to Europe and sold there. Pronk made four different designs, of which 'The Parasol Ladies' or 'Dame au Parasol' was the most popular. The Dutch East India Company ended the deal in 1740 because the production and shipping from China proved too costly. The original watercolour for the design is now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (link). The design was quickly adopted on Japanese porcelain.