This blue and white cup is a Kraak porcelain ware with a bird and foliage motif in an in and out design.The term ‘Kraak’ is believed to originate from the Portuguese ships known as ‘Carracks’, in which the porcelain were transported in large quantities to Europe. Some scholars had also proposed that the origin of the term may be from the verb ‘kraken’, which in Dutch means ‘to break’, a common feature of the fragile Kraak wares.Kraak porcelain were extremely popular in Europe as it was versatile in combining Chinese and non-Chinese motifs and was available is different vessel forms. Even when production in China decreased around the mid 17th century, its popularity never waned, and imitations continued to be made in Japan, England and other parts of the world.
