YONGZHENG, CIRCA 1735

Details

An enamelled and gilt 'Marie Sybille Merian' plate
YONGZHENG, CIRCA 1735
Finely enamelled with two caterpillars among a central cluster of a blue iris and pink orchid, a grisaille and iron-red butterfly hovering above, enclosed by an underglaze-blue and gilt floral band in the well, and elaborate scrollwork with acanthus leaves and gilt flower-heads at the border, two hairline cracks and small chips
23.2 cm. diam.

Special notice

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Lot Essay

This design is probably taken from a sketchbook of Marie Sibylle Merian (1647-1717), a Dutch botanist and artist who was particularly interested in the study of insects and plants in the Dutch West Indies; it appears to be a combination of details from three sketches in Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published in Holland in 1705. Chinese porcelain decorated with this design was almost certainly made for the Dutch market and is more commonly found in underglaze-blue, white and gilt. Examples in the famille rose palette can be found in the British Museum and the Rijksmuseum amongst others. For an enamelled example, see C.J.A. Jörg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1997, no. 334, p. 287; and in Howard & Ayers, China for the West, vol I, pp. 304-5 (also illustrating a vase of very similar design); and in the Hodroff Collection, The Choice of the Private Trader, D.S. Howard, 1994, no. 60.

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