Apothecary's Bottle

The decoration of this white porcelain bottle was achieved through a multistep process. First, some decorative elements, like the deep blue forms, were applied with glaze and then fired. Enamels were brushed on to achieve the bright colors. This bottle was probably in the collection of Johannes Camphuys (1634-1695), who was in charge of the Dutch residential island of Deshima in Nagasaki harbor.