A CHINESE EXPORT EN-GRISAILLE 'MYTHOLOGICAL SUBJECT' TEAPOT AND COVER
清乾隆 墨彩西洋人物紋茶壺

A CHINESE EXPORT EN-GRISAILLE 'MYTHOLOGICAL SUBJECT' TEAPOT AND COVER

Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period

清乾隆 墨彩西洋人物紋茶壺

The globular body painted to each side with a mythological scene depicting a winged figure presenting a flower to a woman clutching a chain of flowers and dressed in a long flowing gown, all below a band of foliate pendent motifs and topped with a cover

19cm long

(2)

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PROVENANCE:

Private collection, UK

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NOTE:

It has been suggested by Howard, D.S. & J. Ayers in 'China for the West. Chinese Porcelain and other Decorative Arts for Export illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection', 1978, pp. 330-331, that the figures depicted here are Cupid and Venus. The object in question is a small milk jug bearing a comparable design to this teapot, and is described as follows: 'The winged Cupid holds a crimson heart before the goddess's Venus eyes, while she, with garlands in her lap, reaches down to folds of the gown about her knee.' Furthermore they suggest that 'this scene was most likely taken loosely from the same original, probably an European print of which the original has not been identified as a Meissen porcelain painted with "Venus and Cupid". In the British Museum is just such a bowl painted in the workshop of J.F. Metzsch of Bayreuth where a similar Cupid is on the right of Venus and a domed building behind her.'