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Lot Essay
This magnificent bowl matches a punch bowl from the collection of H. F. du Pont, now at Winterthur (illustrated in The Magazine Antiques, July 2001, p. 102, when in the entrance of his Southampton house). Both relate closely to a smaller bowl featuring two equestrian hunting vignettes, published by J. G. Lee in Philadelphians and The China Trade (no. 26), as once part of a set in graduated sizes "...presented to Samuel Morris by the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club." Samuel Morris (1734-1812), a prominent Philadelphian, was a founding member and president of the Hunt.
Other bowls that were likely part of the Samuel Morris set include an example from the collection of Governor Sprigg of Maryland now in the Maryland Historical Society (cited by Lee), a small example from the Mottahedeh Collection sold Sotheby's New York, 30 January 1985, lot 176, and a large example illustrated by Godden i (p. 238). An important bowl not from this Morris set but sharing the same print source(s) is the Seawall bowl illustrated by J. Mudge (Chinese Export Porcelain for North America, p. 218), inscribed FOR JOHN SEAWELL OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY VIRGINIA. The Seawell bowl includes the very rare flat-racing vignette and the lovely hound and fox vignette, both in sepia, though interestingly, its hound and fox scene is reversed. J. A. Lloyd Hyde (Oriental Lowestoft, p. 87) writes of the matching du Pont bowl, "Views of horse-racing are most infrequent [and this bowl] shows one of the finest known."
This magnificent punch bowl demonstrates the very high quality of the special orders that were made for leading Americans at this relatively late stage of the China Trade.
Other bowls that were likely part of the Samuel Morris set include an example from the collection of Governor Sprigg of Maryland now in the Maryland Historical Society (cited by Lee), a small example from the Mottahedeh Collection sold Sotheby's New York, 30 January 1985, lot 176, and a large example illustrated by Godden i (p. 238). An important bowl not from this Morris set but sharing the same print source(s) is the Seawall bowl illustrated by J. Mudge (Chinese Export Porcelain for North America, p. 218), inscribed FOR JOHN SEAWELL OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY VIRGINIA. The Seawell bowl includes the very rare flat-racing vignette and the lovely hound and fox vignette, both in sepia, though interestingly, its hound and fox scene is reversed. J. A. Lloyd Hyde (Oriental Lowestoft, p. 87) writes of the matching du Pont bowl, "Views of horse-racing are most infrequent [and this bowl] shows one of the finest known."
This magnificent punch bowl demonstrates the very high quality of the special orders that were made for leading Americans at this relatively late stage of the China Trade.