Pair of Antique Chinese Porcelain Cage Bird Feeders With Foo Dogs C 1900

Details

Description

A pair of antique Chinese porcelain bird cage feeders (or water cups), typically used inside traditional bamboo bird cages.

… Read more A pair of antique Chinese porcelain bird cage feeders (or water cups), typically used inside traditional bamboo bird cages.

One feeder features a wide, everted rim and iron-red decoration depicting a very hairy red foo lion. The foot rim is tall, very narrow V-shape.

The other is very rounded and features a distinctive iron-red overglazed foo lion on one side, a green fantastic beast and a polychrome enamel decoration. The porcelain is thinly potted. The foot is short and very nicely cut. The clay is very white and refined. The base has the remains of a wax export seal. Under a red mark is partially visible.

These miniature porcelain vessels were individually attached to the bars of a cage to provide seeds, food, or water for small companion songbirds. The small integrated loops (or "ears") visible on the left side of each cup allowed them to be wired directly or attached with a bamboo pin to the inner cage structure.

In imperial and old China, raising songbirds was a popular hobby, and wealthy collectors vied for the most ornate cages equipped with fine porcelain fittings from famous kiln centers like Jingdezhen.

Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Andres Onate, former Dean of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. Dr. Onate served in China for the US State Department in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s. This item was purchased in Beijing during one of these tours.

MEASUREMENTS
Bird feeder with everted rim - 1 7/8 in (4.8 cm) diameter x 1 3/8 in (3.4 cm) tall
Polychrome Bird Feeder- 1 ¾ in (4.4 cm) wide x 1 ½ in (3.8 cm) diameter x 1 ¼ in (3.2 cm) tall.
Weighs 1.7 oz.

CONDITION
Both feeders have no chips or cracks on their bodies. The feeder with an everted rim has the remnants of a red past inside and on the unglazed portion of the foot rim. It also has a scratch on the tail of the foo dog's tail. Both pieces have customary kiln flaws, such as pits and stray drops of enamel. See less