Batavia ware was developed in China during the Kangxi Period (1661-1722) and produced specifically for export. Characterised by a chocolate- coloured glaze, ‘Batavia brown’ was achieved by using iron oxide as a pigment, which was then fired at high temperatures. The earliest Batavia teawares were often decorated with painted underglaze blue enamels as seen here, but later examples featured Famille Verte, Famille Rose as well as Imari palettes. Batavia ware was first imported by the Dutch East India Company through the port of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia), from which the name derives. Along with ceramics, products such as tea, coffee, cacao, spices and opium were brought into Europe from this major trading hub. This decoration was imitated by European manufacturers such as Meissen and Leeds, and remained popular among middle-class Europeans until the mid-18th century.
