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42
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Imperial porcelain bowl with heraldic decoration for the Rus…
See original version (French)
42
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Imperial porcelain bowl with heraldic decoration for the Rus…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,500 - €2,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Imperial porcelain bowl with heraldic decoration for the Russian market (Catherine II of Russia). China. Qianlong period (1736–1795), circa 1780. The bowl is decorated in ‘Famille Rose’ enamels, the centre featuring a double-headed imperial eagle supporting a shield decorated with St George slaying the dragon, the wing adorned with a ribbon intertwined in a garland of flowers. Dimensions: 24.5 cm. Two chips to the rim.
Porcelain pieces from the ‘devise service’
A large part of this service, comprising in particular two
soup tureens with their lids and stands, the shape of which is inspired
by Leeds creamware, was sold as lots 743 to 801 at
the Christie’s sale at North Mymms Park, from 24 to 26 September
1979. Other pieces have recently appeared on the market and were
exhibited by Jorge Welsh at TEFAF in 2025. A large dish
had also been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York as early as 1935.
The fact that each cartouche features a different emblem is
unusual for export porcelain, which generally reproduces
a single motif across an entire service.
This distinctive feature is therefore an indication of the high cost of this
commission. The designs are all taken from the book *Symbola et
Emblemata* (1705), commissioned by Peter the Great from Henry Wetstein
(1649–1726) in Amsterdam, with Joseph Mulder (born 1660),
who was probably responsible for the engravings. The book was a great
success: a second edition was printed in Amsterdam in 1741 by
A. van Huissteen & S. van Esveldt, followed by a third in Haarlem in
1743 by Johannes Marshoorn. A St Petersburg edition was
subsequently published in 1788, edited by Nestor Maksimovitsch
Ambodik.
The emblems redrawn by Mulder are precisely those that were
used on the porcelain, to which they correspond closely.
This correspondence suggests that the commission for this service
may have originated in Russia — perhaps even from Catherine II, who
commissioned numerous services from various manufacturers,
notably Sèvres and Wedgwood, as well as Chinese
export porcelain bearing her coat of arms. We would like to thank Will
Motley for the information he has provided us regarding this
commission.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 10/13/2026 at 6:06 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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