Hyde Park Antiques: Past, Present and Future Part I
Hyde Park Antiques: Past, Present and Future Part I
A Rare Chinese Export Famille-Rose 'Chinese Official' Punch Bowl, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing Period, Circa 1800 | 清嘉慶 約1800年 粉彩官員畫像圖盌
No reserve
Auction Closed
January 31, 05:43 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Rare Chinese Export Famille-Rose 'Chinese Official' Punch Bowl, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing Period, Circa 1800
清嘉慶 約1800年 粉彩官員畫像圖盌
the exterior sides decorated with two rococo-style panels decorated a half-length figure of a Chinese official, two other sides painted with a robe draped over a chair with a curious cat clamoring to catch a mouse peeking out of the sleeve
diameter 12 1/2 in.; 31.6 cm
Sotheby's New York, 19 October 2000, lot 188
François and Nicole Hervouët and Yves Bruneau, La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes a Décor occidental, Paris, 1986, cat. no. 1.38, p. 32.
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, China For the West, a loan exhibition in celebration of the Bicentennial of the American China Trade, February 15 - 24, 1984
The subject depicted on the present example is unusual and rare. Both Howard and Ayers, as well as Hervouët and Bruneau, when describing the present example, suggests that this may have been a parting gift, given by Chinese merchants to British and especially American trading partners when they were about to depart. Additionally, the chair and empty gown may also symbolize the absence of the Western trading partner.
However, upon further examination, the Chinese portrait exposes a few further details which may provide some further clues to the identity of the person pictured. Firstly, the half length portrait depicts a Chinese official wearing a robe with a fur collar and fur hat. It is unusual for merchants to chose to represent themselves in winter dress, given the weather in Canton (Guanzhou) remains moderately warm throughout the year. Secondly, the figure wears a dan yan hua ling, a single-eyed peacock feather hat decoration. Examples of plume hat decoration is illustrated in Gary Dickinson and Linda Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Hong Kong, 2000, pp. 112-113, pls 94 and 95. Only conferred by the Emperor, wearers of such peacock feather hat decorations were distinguished members of the court. The single-eyed plum, dan yan hua ling, was awarded to Chinese nobles and officials down to the sixth rank. Therefore, the sitter in the portrait, appears to be of high social status and could possibly be an official based elsewhere such as Beijing.
The only related examples published, also with Chinese portraited cartouches reserved on a café-au-lait ground, includes a sugar bowl, cover and stand, and a large plate, illustrated in Jorge Getulio Veiga, Chinese Export Porcelain in Private Brazilian Collections, London, 1989, pp. 94-95, pl. 66 and 67. The sugar bowl, cover and stand later sold in our London rooms, October 31st, 1989, lot 50. The author attributes the group to be from a tea service made for the Dutch market, likely due to its similarities in coloring as Batavian wares. The author also suggests that the figures depicted in the cartouches are portraits of the Qing imperial family.