Basket thumbnail 1
Basket thumbnail 2
+1
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Basket

ca. 1800 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This fruit basket and two dishes are part of a large dining service decorated with the arms of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) together with its motto 'Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angliae' [ 'By right of the king and the senate of England'] depicted within a scroll. Established in 1600 the first English East India Company was named ' The Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies,' until it was merged with another company in 1698. Upon the merger the name was changed to the Honourable East India Company and in 1709 a new coat of arms was adopted. By 1711 a new trading post was established in Canton.

The shape of the basket is European in origin and probably modelled on pierced work pieces made in Meissen or Berlin. The feather-leaf handles with vine leaf terminals are reminiscent of the headdresses worn by Asian and South American princes that were popularly depicted in costume and travel prints during the 17th century. Baskets, such as this, were a significant part of the dessert service and were always accompanied by a dish used for holding fruit such as strawberries. During the 18th century it had become increasingly fashionable to eat fruit with cream. The open-work design, linlong in Chinese, was produced by using a sharp shaped knife, widely used on export porcelain during 1780 and 1825. This particular service was probably commissioned by an officer within the Honourable East India Company to celebrate its centenary. The pieces came from Fort St George in Madras, one of the most important trading centres in Asia.




Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Basket
  • Stand
Materials and techniques
Porcelain with perforation, painted in overglaze enamels and gilded
Brief description
Armorial porcelain. Basket and stand, porcelain painted in overglaze enamels and gilding with the arms and motto of the Hornourable East India Company, painted in Canton, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1800
Physical description
Basket and stand, of porcelain, oval, painted in overglaze enamels and gilding; round the edges are borders of leaf ornament, and the basket has two plume-shaped handles. The basket and stand are perforated, and each has in the middle the arms of the Honourable East India Company and its motto on a scroll: 'Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angllæ'. Part of a dinner service from Fort St. George, Madras.
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
'Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angllæ' painted on a scroll
Gallery label
BASKET AND DISH WITH THE ARMS OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY About 1800 Porcelain decorated in overglaze enamels and gilding Jingdezhen; possibly decorated in Canton (Guangzhou) Museum no. 335E&F-1898 清中期 東印度公司紋章紋果藍及盤子(23/02/2016)
Object history
Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1898. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Bought, £13 1s. (335 to J-1898);;
Production
Attribution date from inventory record
Subject depicted
Summary
This fruit basket and two dishes are part of a large dining service decorated with the arms of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) together with its motto 'Auspicio Regis et Senatus Angliae' [ 'By right of the king and the senate of England'] depicted within a scroll. Established in 1600 the first English East India Company was named ' The Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies,' until it was merged with another company in 1698. Upon the merger the name was changed to the Honourable East India Company and in 1709 a new coat of arms was adopted. By 1711 a new trading post was established in Canton.

The shape of the basket is European in origin and probably modelled on pierced work pieces made in Meissen or Berlin. The feather-leaf handles with vine leaf terminals are reminiscent of the headdresses worn by Asian and South American princes that were popularly depicted in costume and travel prints during the 17th century. Baskets, such as this, were a significant part of the dessert service and were always accompanied by a dish used for holding fruit such as strawberries. During the 18th century it had become increasingly fashionable to eat fruit with cream. The open-work design, linlong in Chinese, was produced by using a sharp shaped knife, widely used on export porcelain during 1780 and 1825. This particular service was probably commissioned by an officer within the Honourable East India Company to celebrate its centenary. The pieces came from Fort St George in Madras, one of the most important trading centres in Asia.


Bibliographic reference
Kerr, Rose and Luisa E. Mengoni Chinese Export Ceramics London: V&A Publishing, 2011, pp. 9-10, pl. 1
Collection
Accession number
335E&F-1898

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 27, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest