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Lot Essay
The Hongs at Canton as a decoration on Chinese export porcelain became popular from about 1765 and continued with variations until the end of the century.
The earliest 'Hong' bowl was made in circa 1765 for the Danish market, showing the Hongs in a panel on one side and a view of Copenhagen in a panel on the other. See B. L. Grandjean, Dansk Ostindisk Porcelaen, 1965, figs. 113-114, kat.107 for the purple-enamelled bowl of this type in the Handels-og Sofartsmuseet, Kronberg.
By circa 1770-75, bowls were being made with the Hongs divided between the two panels; see D. F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain, 1974, pl.54; and F. and N. Hervoüet and Y. Bruneau, La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes à Décor Occidental, 1986, colour pl.1.26.
By about 1780, the design had developed into a continuous scene, as found on the present example. A very similar bowl in this group is in the British Museum, exhibited Ancient Chinese Trade Ceramics, Taibei, 1994, no.34; another is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, formerly in the W. Martin-Hurst Collection, illustrated by C. Le Corbeiller, China Trade Porcelain: Patterns of Exchange, 1974, no.49, and pp. 115-117 for a discussion on Hong bowls; another is illustrated by M. Beurdeley, Porcelain of the East India Companies, 1962, cat.4, p.149; and yet another, from the Mottahedeh Collection, is illustrated by D. Howard and J. Ayers, China for the West, 1978, vol.I, no.207, p.209.
In 1785, The Empress of China was the first American ship to visit Canton and subsequently bowls were made showing the American flag. J. G. Phillips illustrates one such bowl in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, China-Trade Porcelain, 1960, fig.8, p.14, which was exhibited Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844, Philadelphia, 1984, no.230. On another version in the Winterthur Museum, the flag of Spain is shown.
Compare the current bowl with two very similar ones sold at Sotheby's London, 7th February 1967, lot 172. and in our London Rooms, 13 November 2001, lot 283.
The earliest 'Hong' bowl was made in circa 1765 for the Danish market, showing the Hongs in a panel on one side and a view of Copenhagen in a panel on the other. See B. L. Grandjean, Dansk Ostindisk Porcelaen, 1965, figs. 113-114, kat.107 for the purple-enamelled bowl of this type in the Handels-og Sofartsmuseet, Kronberg.
By circa 1770-75, bowls were being made with the Hongs divided between the two panels; see D. F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain, 1974, pl.54; and F. and N. Hervoüet and Y. Bruneau, La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes à Décor Occidental, 1986, colour pl.1.26.
By about 1780, the design had developed into a continuous scene, as found on the present example. A very similar bowl in this group is in the British Museum, exhibited Ancient Chinese Trade Ceramics, Taibei, 1994, no.34; another is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, formerly in the W. Martin-Hurst Collection, illustrated by C. Le Corbeiller, China Trade Porcelain: Patterns of Exchange, 1974, no.49, and pp. 115-117 for a discussion on Hong bowls; another is illustrated by M. Beurdeley, Porcelain of the East India Companies, 1962, cat.4, p.149; and yet another, from the Mottahedeh Collection, is illustrated by D. Howard and J. Ayers, China for the West, 1978, vol.I, no.207, p.209.
In 1785, The Empress of China was the first American ship to visit Canton and subsequently bowls were made showing the American flag. J. G. Phillips illustrates one such bowl in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, China-Trade Porcelain, 1960, fig.8, p.14, which was exhibited Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844, Philadelphia, 1984, no.230. On another version in the Winterthur Museum, the flag of Spain is shown.
Compare the current bowl with two very similar ones sold at Sotheby's London, 7th February 1967, lot 172. and in our London Rooms, 13 November 2001, lot 283.