THE PORCELAIN LATE MING DYNASTY, CHONGZHEN PERIOD (1628-1644), THE MOUNTS ENGLISH OR DUTCH, MID-17TH CENTURY

Jugs such as the present lot were created specifically for export; this jug was probably intended for the Dutch market based on the tulip decoration painted on the neck. The cover was likely created by someone familiar with the auricular style invented by Dutch silversmiths Paulus van Vianen (1570-1613) and his brother Adam (1569-1627) of Utrecht. This style, named for the resemblance of its swirling motifs to the human ear, was popular in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 17th century, but was also brought to England through Adam's son Christian (1600-1667) who worked for some years at the courts of Charles I and Charles II.