Description:
Chinese export porcelain oval fruit basket decorated in the center well with the Arms of British East India Company, "Argent a cross gules, in the dexter chief quarter an escutcheon of the arms of France and England quarterly, regally crowned or"; the crest, "A lion rampant or supporting between the forefeet a regal crown"; supporters, "Two lions rampant gardant or, each supporting a banner, erect argent charged witha cross gules"; over the Company's motto, "AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIA" (By the Command of the King and Parliament of England). The New East India Company (usually known as 'The Honorable East India Company') was established by Act of Parliament in 1698, and merged in 1702 with an older East India Company ('The Governor and Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies" incorporated by Queen Elizabeth in 1600, which had different arms). This is one of four services with these arms, three of which are after the same bookplate of the Company, but of differing styles. Scholars have speculated if this service was made to honor the 200 anniversary of the 1600 incorporation; or the 100th anniversary of the 1698 meeting or 1702 merger; or even the first meeting of the Directors of 'The Honorable East India Company' in 1708. This service was one of the largest ever made; batches were made over the years and were used by most of the East India Company Governors in India at Bombay and Madras (Fort St. George), where it was in use at least until the second half of the 19th century; a number of Governors took parts of the service back to England at the end of their tenure of office. Those replacement batches included some 200 pieces from the official dinner service found in the country ship, "Diana," wrecked near Malacca in 1817 on the way to Madras. Although more clumsy and roughly painted, the service was still being copied in the 1960s in China. Decorated in blue, pink, turquoise, black and gilding, the basket has a band of a geometric leaf-and-tongue design around the interior rim; two molded scrolled handles on the short ends; and sides with hand-cut, alternating pierced slits (or latticework) of Chinese design. According to Clare Le Corbeiller, the design of this piece may be traced to Josiah Wedgwood's creamware patterns; a version of the leaf border appears in his first pattern book of 1770, and variations continue to appear dating to at least 1790. This type of pierced decoration was out of fashion by 1810.
Subjects:
Pottery; Enamel and enameling; glaze (coating by location); polychrome; Porcelain Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+62.132 |
