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RARE PORTUGUESE MARKET SHIP PLATE #7803 Sold

A rare example of Chinese export porcelain specifically made for the Portuguese market, this 10″plate plate is well-painted with a central detailed image of a Portuguese merchant ship named the BRILLIANTE, within cavetto and rim borders of a double keyfret design in a bright blue enamel. The ship flies a flag inscribed MAS for its owner Miguel Alva Sousa of Macau and the service was most likely used onboard the ship. Discussed and illustrated in Howard & Ayers’ book China for the West, Vol. I, page 228.  With only two very minor short lines to the reverse sealed and minor enamel abrasion, otherwise very good condition.  Circa 1825.

A similar plate from this service sold at Christies on January 20, 2021, Lot 13 for $30,000.00, ours more moderately priced at $5,000.00

 

 

PAIR of Mandarin Tureens & Platters #7789

A fine pair Chinese export porcelain bombe form covered tureens along with a pair of matching platters, all hand-painted with a roundels of mothers playing with their children on a garden terrace and edged with borders of a continuous landscape featuring deer, goats, exotic birds, and butterflies as well as a pair of swirling dragons pursuing the flaming pearl, along with a frolicking border of koi fish symbolizing wealth and success, all accented by richly gilded details on the handles, knops and borders. The tureens measuring 13″ x 11″ and the platters 13″ x 11 1/2″ and all in very good condition with only very minor wear to the gilding and enamels. Beautiful and impressive forms for any collection. Circa 1820. Priced separately – a tureen and platter together for $3,800.00

 

 

platter $3,800.00 for the two pieces.

Pair of Mandarin Borderless Plates #7782 Sold

A fine pair of Chinese export porcelain 10″ dinner plates, hand-painted in Famille Rose enamels with Mandarin scenes, the images painted across the surface of the entire plate as if it were a scroll or silk painting, without any border, which is rather remarkable as many, many Chinese porcelain designs are usually rendered confined within borders.  And although the story being illustrated in these two plates remains unknown to us, they seem to have lanterns or illumination as a theme, one even showing an interior scene with someone holding a candle at a desk or altar. With or without the specific backstory, both pieces are colorfully painted with only two small hairlines to the reverse of one, otherwise in good condition. Circa 1820.  $1,500.00 the pair.

 

PAIR OF ‘RED ROVER’ SHIP’S CHINA #7798

A rare pair of Chinese export porcelain Orange FitzHugh patterned shaped oval serving dishes from a special-ordered service made for the ship(s) RED ROVER.  Each with the elaborately painted FitzHugh borders and centered with a roundel inscribed Red Rover.  The conundrum being that, to our knowledge, there were three 19th century clipper ships named the Red Rover! The first one being English, built in 1829, with the dubious honor of being the fastest ship in the opium trade running between Calcutta, India and Lintin, China.  The second ship, Red Rover, was American, built in 1852 for the California trade and broke records running between New York and San Francisco in 120 days.  And the third Red Rover was a Union Army hospital ship stationed in the Mississippi River above New Orleans in the Civil War. Either way, two very attractive artefacts from the great age of sail in the 19th century. Measuring 8 /12″ x 10″, one with a minor line to the foot rim, but other than some slight stacking wear, both in fine condition. Second quarter of the 19th century.  $1,450.00 the pair.

 

Pair of Green Fitzhugh Soup Plates

A vibrantly enameled pair of Chinese export porcelain 10″ soup plates, hand-painted in emerald green in the classic FitzHugh pattern.  Measuring 10″ in diameter and in  good condition with only slight re-touch to stacking wear.  Circa 1820.  $750.00/pair.

 

Pair of Mandarin 9″ Vases #7778D sold

A very decorative pair of Chinese export porcelain square tapering vases hand-painted in Famille Rose enamels with courtly Mandarin scenes with figures taking their leisure in a garden conversing, playing music, and doing calligraphy. Both with gilded foo lion handles and measuring 9″ tall with restoration to chips along the edges of the shoulders, otherwise good condition.  Circa 1820.

 

Rare Mandarin ‘Borderless’ Plate #7782

An unusual Chinese export porcelain ‘borderless’ Mandarin plate hand-painted with an expansive scene across the entire surface of the plate depicting a pair of elegant courtly ladies on a covered terrace overlooking a water garden of blossoming lotus and watching a young boy in the foreground fishing.  An example of this service is illustrated in Dr. John Feller’s The Canton Famille Rose Enamels, page 5, where he remarks on the unusual use of color with the gilded detail turquoise rock formations and the strong yellow of the terrace blinds. Measuring 9 1/2″ and in good condition, dating to circa 1820.  $975.00

 

“Flower Gods’ Plates #7780 (4 of 8 SOLD)

A charming pair of Chinese export porcelain 8″ plates vibrantly rendered in Famille Rose enamels with images of the Twelve Flower Gods each posed in a garden landscape of rockwork with blossoming trees and each holding their attributes of individual blossoms, the plates centered with a floral roundel and detailed with gilded edges. Also represented is a figure of Zhong Kui the ‘Vanquisher of Ghosts and Evil Beings’. The Twelve Flower Gods are male and female gods and goddesses  each representing a different month of the year and its corresponding flowers. These plates must have always been treasured for their charming decoration as their is very little, if any evidence of wear to the enamels.  Measuring 8″ in diameter and dating to circa 1820.  $900.00 the pair.

 

RARE Form Mandarin Mustard Pots #7777c ONE SOLD

A very interesting and charmingly decorated pair of Chinese export porcelain covered mustard pots, each taking the form of pots-de-creme of the period with their gilded berry knops and double strap handles, but with each cover notched to accommodate a small mustard spoon.  The hand-painted Famille Rose enameled decoration with figural Mandarin scenes, the covers with elaborate borders of flowers, insects and exotic birds. Measuring 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″, in great condition with gilded detail. A very rare form. Circa 1820.  Priced individually at $775.00 each.

Beautiful Large 16″ Rockefeller Platter #7746

A wonderful large Chinese export porcelain ‘Rockefeller Pattern’ oval platter displaying all the richness and attention to detail for which these wares are known, featuring a very finely hand-painted scene – as good a quality as any screen, or scroll painting – featuring a family boating party having pulled their craft ashore and enjoying a picnic beneath a tree. A wonderful view of family life two centuries ago, all set within a puce diapered border with with bird and iron red landscape vignettes and the rim border with further landscapes in reserve against a rich and elaborately scrolling gilded border. The attention to detail and the many specialized skills it took to create this variety of decoration was why this was one of the most expensive special order services available at the time. Evidence of some restoration to the upper left rim on the reverse, other than that good condition.  Measuring 16″ x 13 1/2″ and dating to circa 1795.  $8,500.00

 

American Market Rose Medallion Plate #7727

A fine example of Chinese export porcelain made for the American market in the later 19th century, hand-painted in the Rose Medallion pattern with alternating floral and figural vignettes against a densely packed floral ground, centered a reserve bearing the gilded Gothic initial A most likely for DANIEL AMMEN (1820-1898) an American naval officer whose life-long career, postings, and accomplishments would fill this page. (See Wikipedia).  Measuring 9 3/4″ in diameter and in very good condition. Circa 1865-1868.

 

American Market Rose Medallion BAILEY Plate #7715

A Chinese export porcelain 9 3/4″ Rose Medallion dinner plate hand-painted with a central roundel with a gilded initial B surrounded by four vignettes of courtly scenes and birds amongst flowering branches, all in reserve against a densely painted floral and foliate ground with butterflies and gilded rim. The central initial B within a shield is for the prominent Bailey family of Newport and New York. The patriarch of the family was one William Bailey who was one of the first settlers of Newport, Rhode Island is in known to have dies sometime before 1670.  Bailey’s Beach in Newport remains to this day, named for this family. With some minor stacking wear, otherwise in good condition. Circa 1860-1862.

 

Impressive PAIR of 20″ Mandarin Platters #7710

A very dramatic pair of Chinese export porcelain platters, hand-painted in Famille Rose enamels with large central Mandarin scenes of courtly figures in expansive landscapes surrounded with a colorful border of fruits, flowers, and butterflies against a rich gilded ground.  Barely fitting into our photo cube, each measuring 17″ x 20″ and certainly treasured over the past two centuries exhibiting minimal wear and in very good condition.  Once part of a rather extensive and luxurious dinner service, circa 1810-1820.  $9,500.00/pair.

 

 

 

 

Chinese Export Mandarin Platter #7622

A fine Chinese export porcelain oval platter, decorated in vibrant Famille Rose enamels, painted with a central scene of courtly Mandarin ladies upon a garden terrace being watched with great interest by a gentleman in a pavilion window.  The scene within a gilded and orange enamel border of dragons which symbolize strength, power, and good luck for people who are worthy of it, amongst swirling clouds and flaming pearls.  Good condition, measuring 11 1/2″ x 14 1/2″. Circa 1810-1820.  $1,850.00

Fine Pair of Mandarin Hot Water Dishes #7488

A wonderful pair of Chinese export porcelain hot water dishes decorated in Famille Rose enamels with Mandarin decoration, each centered with a detailed scene of courtly Mandarin life within a fantastical rim bordered with swirling dragons chasing the flaming pearl, the top of the plates with a reserve inscribed with the gilded initials of the original owner of the service. In an era that produced some really brilliant designs, this is one of the best examples of the Mandarin services that we’ve had.  Measuring 9 3/4″ in diameter; one with a chip to the reverse, and both with very minor wear commensurate with age.  Circa 1800.  $2,800.00 the pair.

 

American Market Tablewares, Nantucket Provenance

A group of fine Chinese export porcelain tablewares made for the American market, vibrantly edged in a beautiful apple green border with gilded detail – each piece with a small gilded floral sprig. In addition to their decorative quality, they have a history of descent in the Russell-Macy-Starbuck families of Nantucket. The simple design would have appealed to the Quaker aesthetic of these prominent island families at the time and the apple green enamel border was relatively rare on Chinese export wares as we know of only one other service made for the American market and that went into New haven, CT.  The group comprises; a large 15″ oval platter; an 11″ reticulated basket and undertray and a pair of covered strap-handled pots-de-cremes. All in very good condition with only the basket handles with restoration and they appear to be original. Early 19th century. $2,800.00 the group.

 

Mandarin Cachepot #7382

A very attractive, and very useful, Chinese export porcelain octagonal form footed cachepot richly decorated with a continuous scene hand-painted around its eight sides, rendered in Famille Rose enamels, and animated with courtly figures and attendants upon a garden terrace with a lady of nobility sitting upon a root chair under a portico receiving the crowd. Measuring 6 1/2″ tall x 10″ across in very good condition. Circa 1820.

Vividly Painted Mandarin Dish #7335c

A very finely enameled Chinese export porcelain diamond-form serving dished with a molded border, painted with a central scene depicting a pair of elegant ladies sitting upon a terrace (note the detailed ‘root’ chair) while they listen and watch as elderly lady reads and admires a calligraphic scroll being held out for her scrutiny by two attendants, a lady’s maid fans and cools her during her scholarly pursuit. All set within a very elaborate floral and foliate border.  Measuring 9″ x 10″ and in very good condition. Beautiful, bright enamels. Dating to circa 1830.  $675.00

Handsome 13″ ‘Arms of Oliphant’ Dish #7343

A very fine Chinese export porcelain quatrefoil-form serving dish, made for the English market, bearing the Arms of Oliphant impaling Browne. Measuring 9″ x 13″ and in very good condition, one of three services made with these arms, and dating to circa 1800, though the dealer label from Matthew and Elisabeth Sharpe have it dated a bit earlier. Discussed and illustrated in Howard’s Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Vol. I, page 725.    $1250.

Rare Monogrammed Mandarin Plate #6008

A fine Chinese export porcelain plate decorated with a central Mandarin scene of figures on a terrace within an unusual border of small white blossoms against deep overglaze blue ground, the reverse with a rare gilded monogram of the original owner. Seldom were the services inscribed on the reverse as this example was. Measuring 8″ in diameter and in very good condition. Circa 1820.  $575.