56
A pair of Chinese export porcelain pitchers
Estimate
5.000 - 8.000
Session 1
16 December 2025
Hammer Price
Register to access this information.Description
Chinese export porcelain
Piriform body with arched lateral handle, scalloped rim neck and spout moulded as a male mask with beard
Decorated in underglaze blue with floral landscapes depicting peony shrubs, rockwork and willow
The neck decorated with spearhead friezes, auspicious objects and floral scroll borders
Qianlong period (1736-1795)
(one pitcher with small glaze losses to the handle and the other with restoration to the rim)
Height: 34 cm
Additional Information
A similar example, with spout moulded as a male mask and very similar underglaze blue decoration, is in the Renato Albuquerque Collection.
The origin of this model remains under discussion: some authors argue for the influence of Meissen prototypes, while others point to 17th-century Germanic Bellarmine jugs that were widely copied in Europe and China in the early 18th century.
Literature:
Pinto de Matos, Maria Antónia; Moas, Ana; Shih, Ching-fei; Carita, H.; Curvelo, A.; Morais, B. A.; Pereira, F. A. B.; Sargent, W. R. The RA Collection of Chinese Ceramics: A Collector’s Vision. Vol. II, pp. 144-145.
Closed Auction
