Page 58 - Chinese Export Porcelain MARCHANT GALLERY 2015

37. Famille rose plate, painted with the biblical scene of ‘Rebecca at the Well’ with Abraham’s servant Eliezer approaching
the well, weary from his journey after being sent to find a wife, for Abraham’s son Isaac, from his brother Nahor’s family.
In this scene, Rebecca immediately offers fresh water to Eliezer and she continues to draw water for his camels so that
Eliezer realises that she is the one who will be the future wife of Isaac. The scene depicts three other figures at the well,
a seated figure in the foreground and a lady carrying away a pitcher of water on her head, all amongst trees, bushes and
pale green enamelled grass, encircled by a ruyi-head band and a scrolling shell branch on the flat rim.
9 inches, 22.8 cm diameter.
Qianlong, circa 1750.
• From the collection of Dr Hardouin, Nantes, western France.
• An identical plate, from the collection of Mildred & Rafi Mottahedeh is illustrated by David S. Howard & John
Ayers in China for the West, Volume one, no. 301, p. 308, and again by Maria Antónia Pinto de Matos in The RA
Collection of Chinese Ceramics, A Collector’s Vision, Volume Two, no. 352, pp. 282/3; another is illustrated by George
C. Williamson in The Book of Famille Rose, pl. XLII. p. 134; yet another is illustrated by David S. Howard in The
Choice of the Private Trader, the Private Market in Chinese Export Porcelain Illustrated from the Hodroff Collection, no.
82, pp. 92/3.
• A similar plate with a plain border and crimped rim, from the collection of Madeline Whitney Shea (1903-2000),
is illustrated by William R. Sargent in Treasures of Chinese Export Ceramics, from the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem,
Massachusetts, no. 165, p. 313, where the author notes that a similar dish was found on the wreck of Geldermalsen,
which sank between Guangzhou and Jakarta (Batavia) in January 1752; another is illustrated by David S. Howard in
A Tale of Three Cities, Canton, Shanghai & Hongkong, no. 138, p. 114.
• This depiction is certainly taken from a contemporary European print, possibly inspired by the painting of ‘Rebecca
at the Well’ by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
• This narrative scene is taken from the Old Testament in the book of Genesis, Chapter 24, Verses 15-18, ‘And it was
when he has not yet finished speaking that suddenly Rebecca was coming out, she who had been born to Bethuel
the son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, with a jug upon her shoulder. Now the maiden was very
fair to look upon; a virgin who no man had known. She descended to the spring, filled her jug and ascended. The
servant ran towards her and said, ‘Let me sip, if you please, a little water from your jug.’ She said, ‘Drink my lord’
and quickly she lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink.’

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