Help with old looking jar

I found this the other day, looks quite old to me, but I'm more often wrong than right.
Presuming its a ginger jar minus a lid

Is it oriental ?

Cheers

 

You're right, it is Chinese. It looks like it has some age, but the photos are warped. (makes me feel a bit seasick)

 

I love learning here. I would never have guessed Chinese. Nice pot Charlie!

 

I have one quite similar - purchased in the mid-80's. About 6 inches tall, missing? it's lid, but a bit more generously decorated. I just took pictures this morning, but haven't edited them yet. I was intending to start my own thread - so I won't confuse the issue by adding it here.

 

Hi, your welcome to add to the thread, if you like, to see any similarities.
Do you think they are 19th century, or copies of earlier pieces

 

Thanks, Charlie. I was lead to believe that it (and it's slightly smaller brother) were already antique when I bought them in the mid-80's. Represented as "domestic wares."

Here's the 6+ inch one. Second picture is the decoration on the other side. Third picture is the mark on the bottom.

 

Here's the smaller one - just under 5 inches tall. Another "fishing scene," but without the buildings on the other side. Also has a different mark.

First is what I consider to be the front, second the back and third the mark.

 

Now that is a great jar, you've made mine look rubbish ! !! Hehe

The term "domestic ware" is a great help

 

I have a number of pieces of "domestic ware" (not intended for export) many of which are brush pots or boxes, ink boxes and brush washers. But the pride of my collection is a Batavian floral bowl from the Nanking Cargo auction at Christies.

 

They are also called Provincial Ware, which was made in places like Fujian and Zhangzhou. A lot of it was made for export to other parts of Asia.

I'd love to see it, I have these two little darlings from the Nanking Cargo auction, small, but perfectly formed:

 

How cute! I'll try to take pictures later. The light here is abysmal this morning.

 

Here you go, AJ. Light finally cooperated.

16.5 cm diameter with blue underglaze floral and dark brown exterior.

 

Gorgeous, Bakers.
That ware with brown on the outside is called 'Capucijner' here, after the brown habits of Capucine monks. Maybe it has a similar name in English?

 

These little jars which the OP posted are very commonly dug up on the Thames foreshore here.

 

I had never heard that term, AJ. None of the information that accompanied the bowl did nor give a name to that - only "brown exterior."

Is there any truth to the idea that this kind of ware was used a ballast in ships engaged in the China Trade? Would that account in any way for OBB's observation that many like Charlie's jar are found along the Thames foreshore?

 

These food jars are found wherever there were concentrations of Chinese populations. Consequently, many are found in CA due to the Chinese that came over as labor for the railroads and other construction projects. May have also been used as ballast but they were packed with food for the expatriate population.

 

I think we have many terms for Chinese porcelain here, because our trade with China was so extensive.

It wasn't used as ballast, but as packing material, a buffer to protect the precious tea against seawater seeping through.
I don't know about the English, but the Dutch were only interested in fine porcelain ware, not provincial wares. That is why the Nanking Cargo, from the Dutch ship Geldermalsen, comprised of such lovely porcelain.
Provincial wares were transported by the Dutch, but sold in other parts of Asia.

 

Hi

This one is another jar I bought with the other one, not sure about this one though