This fanciful charger illustrates a Dutch ship with three Dutchmen, objectified by their baggy pantaloons, top hats, and large noses. Since the Dutch were not allowed to leave Dejima and interact with locals, they became the subject of fascination and wild speculation in Japan. Popular Imari Ware, also called Arita Ware as it was produced in the Arita region of Kyushu, capitalized on designs of the Dutch, which continued to be exported to Europe and the United States even after Japanese ports were opened in 1854. Adding to its theme of international exchange, this plate also references Chinese design through the cloud pattern on the flags, which have nothing to do with the Netherlands, and the painted seal on the reverse. The seal 乾, unreadable to most foreign buyers, displays the first Chinese character from the name of the reign of Chinese Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796). This mark was not meant to deceive, but became a convention in nineteenth-century Imari ware that honors the sophistication of past Chinese porcelain.
—Sherry Fowler