Not currently on display at the V&A

Box

1700-1888 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painted enamels of this kind were commonly known in English as 'Canton enamel', after the main centre of their production in South China. They were popular export products in the 18th and 19th centuries. These copper wares were also produced in Beijing for imperial consumption. In Chinese they were referred to as 'foreign porcelain' (yangci 洋瓷).


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Box
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Painted polychrome enamels on a copper body.
Brief description
Lobed box and lid, painted enamels on copper, Guangzhou, China, 1700-1888
Physical description
Lobed box and lid, painted in polychorme enamel on a copper body. Decorated with scrolling flowers on a pink ground.
Dimensions
  • Height: 2.5in (Note: from acquisition register)
  • Diameter: 3.375in (Note: from acquisition register)
Credit line
Purchased. Acquisition register notes: "acquired in Persia".
Object history
Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1888. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
Painted enamels of this kind were commonly known in English as 'Canton enamel', after the main centre of their production in South China. They were popular export products in the 18th and 19th centuries. These copper wares were also produced in Beijing for imperial consumption. In Chinese they were referred to as 'foreign porcelain' (yangci 洋瓷).
Collection
Accession number
497-1888

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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