Cup and Saucer
1760-1770 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The cup and saucer feature Neptune, the God of the Sea in Roman mythology, holding a trident and riding dolphins, together with a group of Nereids and Tritons. The scene, possibly inspired by an event narrated in Virgil's poem Aeneid, was taken from a print made by the Dutch artist Frederick Bloemart (c.1610-1669), who engraved the left part of a drawing made by his father Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651).
This design must have been very popular, as the Dutch East India Company placed an order in Canton in 1778, sending a chocolate cup with this design and asking to have it copied on dishes. The order was eventually cancelled because Dutch merchants lamented the excessive cost of Chinese porcelain with European decoration. The band of honey-comb diaper along the rim is characteristic of border designs of the period.
This design must have been very popular, as the Dutch East India Company placed an order in Canton in 1778, sending a chocolate cup with this design and asking to have it copied on dishes. The order was eventually cancelled because Dutch merchants lamented the excessive cost of Chinese porcelain with European decoration. The band of honey-comb diaper along the rim is characteristic of border designs of the period.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue |
| Brief description | Cup and saucer, porcelain painted in underglaze blue and depicting Neptune, China (Jingdezhen), Qing dynasty, ca. 1760-1770 |
| Physical description | Porcelain, painted in blue with Neptune attended by Nereids and Tritons, around the inside of the cup and the rim of the saucer is a conventional border. |
| Styles | |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs A. Cameron |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mrs. A. Cameron, accessioned in 1909. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Production | label |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The cup and saucer feature Neptune, the God of the Sea in Roman mythology, holding a trident and riding dolphins, together with a group of Nereids and Tritons. The scene, possibly inspired by an event narrated in Virgil's poem Aeneid, was taken from a print made by the Dutch artist Frederick Bloemart (c.1610-1669), who engraved the left part of a drawing made by his father Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651). This design must have been very popular, as the Dutch East India Company placed an order in Canton in 1778, sending a chocolate cup with this design and asking to have it copied on dishes. The order was eventually cancelled because Dutch merchants lamented the excessive cost of Chinese porcelain with European decoration. The band of honey-comb diaper along the rim is characteristic of border designs of the period. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kerr, Rose and Luisa E. Mengoni Chinese Export Ceramics London: V&A Publishing, 2011, p.71, pl.92
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.39&A-1909 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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