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a fine iron-red line. Drawing in thin red line and 28. PartialTea Service. Chinese (Dutch market), ca. I740. Hard paste.
wash can be seen in export porcelains of H. of milk jug with cover (.3) 5/4 in. (I3.3cm). Helena Woolworth McCann
the early 1700s painted with both Chinese and Collection, Purchase,Winfield Foundation Gift, I96I (61.64.I-.8)
Western subjects. IfJesuit influence is to be
invoked in this context, it should perhaps be in Thereis a distinctstylisticconnectionbetweenthe decorationof the 'Arbor"plate
light of the role of FatherMatteo Ripa(1682-1746), (fig.27) and this design,whichhasbeenuncertainlyattributedto CornelisPronk.
who at the request of the Kangxiemperor intro- Pronkwas a skillfultopographicaalrtist andportraitist;his known workfor the
duced the technique of copper engraving to the VOCis uncharacteristiocf his manner,and this abstractpatterneven moreso.
imperial court, producing in 1713 the first Chinese No mentionof it hasbeenfoundin VOCreferencetso Pronk,but he is known to
engravings of the emperor's palace at Jehol. have madedetaildrawings,someof whichcouldhaveprovidedthe motifsforthe
Penciled-or grisaille-decoration with both palmette,diaper,and lappets,all sharedby the 'Arbor"design.If Pronk'sdrawings
Chinese and Europeansubjects began to appear (sentin duplicate)werein circulationinJingdezhen,is itpossibletheywereused
regularly,with differing border patterns, toward bya Dutch merchanton his own account,who revisedPronk'smotifsto createa
1730. Stylistically,those in a freely derived Du newpattern?
Paquiermanner are later,associated with armori-
als datable to the 1740s and centering around Althoughtheseeightpieceswereacquiredas an ensemble,diferencesin the quality
examples dated between 1750 and 1756. Labor of the materialand thepainting indicatethat theyderivefrommorethan oneset.
intensive and, at its highest level of skill, of Thesamepattern existsin a redand blackpalette, theplates having a variant
designof reversedpalmettes.
27
