Cover
1800-1894 (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).
This object was made for export to the Thai market. Thai kings gave sets of enamelled copperwares to senior monks in royal temples. The conferral of enamelled copperwares to monks was a way of honouring the monastic community, often coinciding with promotions or significant events in a monk's life. The choice of copperwares was appropriate for gifts to monks, as they had taken vows of poverty. The enamelled copperwares given to monks were usually decorated with floral patterns against a yellow ground.
This object was made for export to the Thai market. Thai kings gave sets of enamelled copperwares to senior monks in royal temples. The conferral of enamelled copperwares to monks was a way of honouring the monastic community, often coinciding with promotions or significant events in a monk's life. The choice of copperwares was appropriate for gifts to monks, as they had taken vows of poverty. The enamelled copperwares given to monks were usually decorated with floral patterns against a yellow ground.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Painted enamels on a copper body. |
| Brief description | Cover, painted enamels on copper, Guangzhou, China, 1800-1894 |
| Physical description | Cover for a monk's alms bowl, decorated in painted enamels on copper. The cover has straight sides, flaring outward from its flat top. The exterior of the lid is painted with flowering plants symmetrically arranged against a yellow ground. The centre of the cover is decorated with a floral pattern within a lobed compartment. The interior is painted in light turquoise enamel. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Purchased |
| Object history | Purchased from M. Selig Sonnerthal & Co. (85 Queen Victoria Street), accessioned in 1894. 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). This object was made for export to the Thai market. Thai kings gave sets of enamelled copperwares to senior monks in royal temples. The conferral of enamelled copperwares to monks was a way of honouring the monastic community, often coinciding with promotions or significant events in a monk's life. The choice of copperwares was appropriate for gifts to monks, as they had taken vows of poverty. The enamelled copperwares given to monks were usually decorated with floral patterns against a yellow ground. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 418-1894 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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