SECOND QUARTER 17TH CENTURY, INDISTINCT BLUE MARK

Details

A Portuguese faience blue and white chinoiserie pilgrim bottle
SECOND QUARTER 17TH CENTURY, INDISTINCT BLUE MARK
In the 'Kraakporselein'-style, the flattened circular body painted on one side with a double-gourd Taoist emblem with tasseled ribbons to the centre enclosed by eight panels with flowers alternating auspicious symbols, the other side inscribed AQ:VITE:AULIC (ceremonial brandy) enclosed by the same panelled border, with four applied pierced handles, the cylindrical neck with stylised leaves
31.5 cm. high

Special notice

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €5,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €5,001 and €400,000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €400,001. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Sale room notice

Please note the description in the printed catalogue should read:
A Portuguese faience blue and white chinoiserie pilgrim bottle
SECOND QUARTER 17TH CENTURY, INDISTINCT BLUE MARK

Lot Essay

The front of this bottle closely follows a 'Kraakporselein' example. The double-gourd of Immortal Li Tieguai, a dispenser of medicine, is one of the Eight Taoist Emblems.
Already during the Middle Ages pewter pilgrim bottles were taken on journeys as storage vessels for liquids. They would be easy to carry or attach on horseback when applied with ropes through the loops. The Chinese 'moon flask' provided the potter with a suitable shape to convert with loops into a pilgrim bottle. However the 'Kraak' decoration was never applied on these type of objects in Chinese porcelain, it is thus a European adaption.

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