Painted in vibrant cobalt blue with two elongated quatrefoil shaped cartouches enclosing the 'hundred antiquities', including a censer, a baluster shaped vase, scrolls and books; in the centre, two fan-shaped panels, the foreground panel depicting a maiden seated on a terrace under a flowering tree, the second elongated cartouche similarly decorated, the two cartouches interspersed with vigorously painted sprays of lotus and peony all between a diaper and flowerhead pattern at the neck and at the foot, the slightly domed cover similarly decorated with a quatrefoil panel depicting further symbols around the knop finial.
Literature
For this shape, and a discussion of a similar, smaller beaker vase see Jorg: Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum: The Ming and Qing Dynasties, Philip Wilson, 1997, plate 284, page 257, and for this design, and a discussion, see Jorg again, plate 302, page 262, where he illustrates a covered two-handled jar from the bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I, 1814. Royal Cabinet of Curiosities, transferred to the Rijksmuseum in 1883. The jar illustrated is an unusual form, as is our beaker and cover. This design is found more commonly on ginger jars. Jorg continues: 'The motif of the fan-shaped panel with a figure is also known from other early 18th century pieces in underglaze blue '(Caterina no 89, Krahl & Ayers, Kassel) as well as in enamels (Cat. N. 198)
refs page 262 Jorg Schlockteren: Aziatische ceramiek uit eeuwen, exhibition catalogue Fraeylemaborg, 1977, no. 105
J. Ayers: Chinese Ceramics. The Koger Collection, London/New York 1985, no. 93
R. Krahl & J. Ayers: Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, vol 3, nos. 2154, 2155
L. Caterina:Catalogo della porcellana Cinese di tipo bianco e blu, catalogue Museo Nazionale della ceramica ?Duca di Martina? di Napoli, Rome 1986, nos 89, 165
Kassel: Porzellan aus China und Japan. Die Porzellangalerie der Landgrafen von Hessen-Kassel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Kassel, Berlin 1990, figs 67, 68 New York 1995-2, no 95.
