A Chinese ‘Batavian ware’ Teapot and Cover, Qianlong, circa 1740-50
This small, globular Chinese export teapot and cover is decorated in a rich brown glaze reserved with panels painted with famille rose flowers and sprigs. The panels are quatrelobed on the teapot and artemisia leaf-shaped on the cover. A peach (tao), symbolising longevity, is painted on a panel beneath the spout and the handle. An old handwritten label on the base misidentifies the teapot as Japanese.
‘Batavian ware’ is characterised by a deep coffee-coloured or brown glaze, often incorporating reserved panels of famille rose or underglaze blue decoration. It takes its name from Batavia (present-day Jakarta), the trading port of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie – VOC), from which the porcelain was shipped to Europe.
Provenance: The Ian and Antonia Macpherson Collection, Old Hall, Blofield, Norfolk.
Condition: There is a short hairline to the underside of the cover, between the vent hole and a firing pinhole. The cover is a loose fit and fired to a slightly different brown shade. The decoration also suggests that the pieces are matched. Manufacturing flaws include an area of irregular glaze coverage beside one of the panels, and expected pinholes and clay tears. There is typical roughness around the three-hole strainer. No restoration.
Dimensions: Height (to top of knop) 12.5 cm
Chinese Export Ceramics, Rose Kerr and Luisa E. Mengoni (V&A Publishing, 2011).