A RARE FAMILLE ROSE HELMET-SHAPED EWER

YONGZHENG

Details
A RARE FAMILLE ROSE HELMET-SHAPED EWER
yongzheng
Modelled after a European silver original, and colourfully enamelled around the body with lady musicians on a garden terrace beside flowers and rockwork, divided by a scroll-head loop handle, the large spout with landscape vignettes reserved on a floral ground, the waisted and stepped foot with variously patterned bands, handle restuck, foot rim chip restored, minor enamel flakes
11in. (28cm.) high

Lot Essay

Although these silver-shaped ewers are well known in famille verte, it is much rarer to find this essentially Huguenot metal shape surviving into the period of early famille rose. See Christopher Hartop, The Huguenot Legacy, English Silver 1680-1760, pp.402-404, no.106 for an English silver ewer of circa 1696-7, where the author mentions that this form is taken from a French silver prototype of the 1680's.
Famille verte ewers of this shape are illustrated by M. Beurdeley, op.cit., p.73, fig.49 for an example with the arms of Ataïde; bid., p.159, cat.49a, for another with the arms of Brydges, first Duke of Chandos and p.175, cat.115 for a non-armorial famille verte ewer.

More from The China Trade Sale

View All
View All