Dutch East India Company (VOC)

In the 17th century, trade with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) became a significant catalyst for Arita ware's expansion into the global market. At a time when Chinese porcelain exports were halted, the VOC turned to porcelain from Arita, Hizen, Japan, as an alternative. This trade introduced Arita ware to Europe under the name "IMARI," eventually influencing the development of Western ceramic culture.

Disruption of East Asian Trade and New Demand for Porcelain

In the latter half of the 17th century, the collapse of China's Ming Dynasty and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty led to extreme domestic turmoil, causing a significant decline in porcelain production at Jingdezhen, which had continued for a long time. Consequently, European trade, which had previously relied on Chinese porcelain as its primary commodity, temporarily stagnated, leading merchants in various countries to seek alternatives.

At that time, the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), established in the Netherlands in 1602, held the dominant position in Asian trade. The VOC was a chartered company responsible for maritime trade between Asia and Europe, a "national policy company" backed by the state and possessing its own military, shipbuilding capabilities, and diplomatic powers.

Encounter with Arita - The Birth of "Japanese Porcelain"

During a period when the supply of porcelain was interrupted due to civil unrest in China, the Dutch East India Company (VOC), seeking new sources, turned its attention to Arita, Hizen, Japan.

In 1616, the discovery of pottery stone, the raw material for porcelain, at Izumiyama in Arita marked the beginning of porcelain production in Japan. Early Arita porcelain, incorporating techniques from China and Korea, developed uniquely, eventually producing high-quality white porcelain and beautiful underglaze blue ware.

The VOC adopted this Arita ware as a main export product for Europe, and the finished products were shipped from the nearby Imari Port. For this reason, Arita ware became known in Europe by the name "Imari ware" (IMARI).

"Imari" That Charmed the World

Japanese porcelain carried by the VOC traveled via Amsterdam to adorn the tables and palaces of royalty and nobility in France, Germany, England, and Scandinavia. Its delicate underglaze blue decorations and the perfect brilliance of its white porcelain, which did not exist in Europe at the time, were highly praised as "the mystery of the Orient."

This influence eventually spread to pottery industries across Europe, giving rise to kilns such as Meissen in Germany and Sèvres in France. In other words, Arita ware, as a "model of Oriental porcelain," significantly influenced the development of Western ceramic culture.

"Arita Ware That Crossed the Sea" Buried off the Coast of Cape Town

In 1697, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) merchant ship sank off the coast of Cape Town. Among the salvaged cargo, numerous white porcelain bottles and jars fired in Arita at the time were discovered. This suggests a high probability that the route via South Africa was part of the VOC's main trade routes.

These items were being transported en route to Europe, demonstrating that Arita ware was already considered part of international trade. These excavated items are still preserved in museums in South Africa and the Netherlands, attracting attention as historical evidence showing "the porcelain route that connected East and West."

The Relationship Between VOC and Japan - Towards the Dejima Era

In the latter half of the 17th century, even under Japan's isolationist policy, the Netherlands was the only country allowed to trade with Japan, maintaining a trading post on Dejima in Nagasaki. In exchange for exporting porcelain, lacquerware, copper, and silver, Western scientific technology and medical books were introduced to Japan, later leading to "Rangaku" (Dutch learning).

Arita ware's global expansion was not merely a story of exports but a crucial turning point where Eastern and Western cultures intertwined, stimulating each other and giving birth to new aesthetic sensibilities.