Bow blanc de chine cup with crabstock handle and saucer, circa 1752

POA

Description

Bow blanc de chine cup with crabstock handle and saucer, circa 1752, the saucer with gently lobed rim, both decorated in relief with applied sprays of prunus blossom.

Dimensions:

Diameter of saucer: 11.5cm. (4 1/2in.)

Condition:

Two small faint hairlines to the rim

Notes:
Made in imitation of the highly prized ‘blanc de chine’ porcelain of Dehua, ‘sprigged’ white soft-paste porcelain was made at Bow extensively during the 1750s. Prior to the revelation of the secret ‘hard-paste’ porcelain developed at Meissen, Bow and Chelsea (the two large producers of chinawares during this period) used a paste made with bone ash to strengthen the compound. Wares were mostly made either in direct imitation of Chinese or Japanese ceramics, or indirectly through other European interpretations of Asian export wares. Such influence is clearly visible here; as well as the white body so reminiscent of Dehua (‘blanc de chine’) porcelain from Southern China, the naturalistic branch handles of the cup are based on the type often seen on Yixing redware. The V&A has a set of ‘blanc de chine’ Bow porcelain dated to 1755 in this style with applied prunus decoration (414:162 to /E-1885 (Sch. I 17 to E)). The set includes saucers very similar to this as well as coffee cups with crabstock handles and teabowls. Also in the collection of the V&A is a Bow cup and saucer dated to 1750 with very similar decoration, though the handle of the cup is of a plainer style than the ‘crabstock’ handle of this example.

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Product REF: W809