Both the lovely decoration and the eccentric shapes of this garniture, one of two or three in this pattern known to exist, are closely associated with Cornelis Pronk's designs for the Dutch East India Company, and it must certainly have been a private order drawn by Pronk for a Company director or supercargo. The garniture's unusual palette, its carefully rendered botanical detail, and its European watercolour-like shading of the enamel colours all relate closely to Pronk's four official commissions, particularly to the latter two, the 'Doctors' Visit' and the 'Arbour'. The diaper or 'grille' pattern of this garniture is in fact identical to that of the 'Arbour', and is also found on the 'Plume' pattern attributed to Pronk (and sharing this garniture's lilac enamel). The 'Arbour' order, sent to Batavia by the Dutch East India Company on the Heeren XVII in 1738, was accompanied by two new forms to be copied: tapestry sconces and "wooden moulds of a mantelpiece (set)". Two other garnitures are known in these odd shapes with decoration attributed to Pronk. Howard & Ayers, op. cit., p. 304, illustrate a vase from a set sold at Sotheby's London, March 31, 1977, showing a 'grille' pattern border and closely related flower stems, but with large butterflies hovering beside them and on a plain ground. Du Boulay, op. cit., p. 269, illustrates one of a pair of vases enamelled with very similar leafy branches, but bearing only buds or berries and on a black ground with a tasseled border. See C.J.A. Jorg, Pronk Porcelain, for a complete discussion of the circumstances and documentation of the Pronk orders, and for numerous references to the practice of private orders outside the purview of official Dutch East India Company records. A five-piece garniture of this pattern, but with covers lacking, was sold Sotheby's Monaco, June 22, 1987, lot 1445.