18th-Century Chinese Export Porcelain Double Peacock Pattern Soup Tureen, Cover & Stand

Details

Description

Imperial Opulence: A Chinese Export Porcelain "Double Peacock" Soup Tureen, Cover, and Stand
Circa 1740–1760

This magnificent Chinese export porcelain … Read more Imperial Opulence: A Chinese Export Porcelain "Double Peacock" Soup Tureen, Cover, and Stand
Circa 1740–1760

This magnificent Chinese export porcelain soup tureen, cover, and under-stand is painted in the celebrated famille rose palette with the famous "Double Peacock" pattern, one of the most distinguished and historically resonant designs produced for the European market during the Qianlong period. The oval stand, with its gracefully shaped and scalloped rim, and the rectangular tureen, featuring canted corners and raised on a sturdy molded foot, are beautifully decorated en suite.

The central composition depicts a pair of peacocks perched upon pierced garden rockwork amidst a landscape of flowering peonies, chrysanthemums, and leafy branches. The birds are rendered with exceptional artistry, their iridescent plumage detailed in rich tones of green, blue, ochre, and iron-red, with their long tail feathers spreading elegantly across the porcelain ground. A dense profusion of blossoms in deep rose-pink, coral, and soft green fills the surrounding field, conveying the characteristic exuberance of the finest export wares of this era.

The dome-shaped cover mirrors this rich floral decoration and is surmounted by a boldly modeled deer-head finial detailed in iron-red and gilding, complemented by a matching pair of stylized deer-head handles flanking the sides of the tureen. A spearhead inner border frames the central compositions, while the rims are banded with running geometric ornament in iron-red and gilt, accented by passages of underglaze blue that add remarkable depth and vivacity to the palette.

Dimensions
Total Dimensions (Assembled): 15 inches (38.10 cm) Wide x 9 3/4 inches (24.77 cm) High x 11 3/4 deep
Tureen: 13 1/4 inches (33.66 cm) Wide x 9 1/4 inches (23.50 cm) Deep x 9 inches (22.86 cm) High
Stand: 15 inches (38.10 cm) Wide x 11 3/4 inches (29.85 cm) Deep x 2 1/2 inches (6.35 cm) High

Condition Report
The tureen, cover, and stand are in good antique condition, with the vibrant famille rose enamels, underglaze blue borders, and extensive gilt highlights remaining remarkably bright, crisp, and well-preserved.

Provenance
Private Collection.

Historical Context
The "Double Peacock" pattern holds an incredibly illustrious place in the history of global ceramic trade. As the noted collector and authority Almeida Santos observed in his Manual do Colecionador Brasileiro, the peacock service is widely considered the finest of all famille rose export services made on special commission for Europe, highly praised because the birds themselves are so exceptionally well-designed. This legendary pattern is indissolubly linked to the Portuguese and Brazilian royal houses. The service accompanied the Braganza court when Dom João VI, then Prince Regent, fled Lisbon ahead of the Napoleonic invasion of 1807, sailing with his mother, the Queen Regent Mary I, and the entire Portuguese court to Rio de Janeiro. Upon arrival, the service was installed at the Paço de São Cristóvão, the imperial palace that served as the primary residence of the Brazilian court until the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, ensuring the design passed from the imperial table of Portugal into the historic fabric of Brazil.

The pattern also reached the Americas through alternative commercial channels, finding great favor among early American colonial merchants. In their authoritative work, China for America: Export Porcelain of the 18th and 19th Centuries, authors Herbert, Peter, and Nancy Schiffer illustrate an identical dish from this pattern that descended through an elite family in Charleston, South Carolina, and is now preserved in the collection of the historic Charleston Museum. This survival attests to the broad appeal and immense prestige of the pattern among the wealthiest transatlantic merchant classes during the mid-18th century.

(Ref: NY11114-iuur) See less