Page 40 - Bonhams Chiense Paintings New York July 21 2020

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THREE ARMORIAL PORCELAINS TOGETHER WITH THE COAT The arms are those of the Dobree family of the Channel Islands, with
OF ARMS GRANT the motto ‘Spe vivitur’ (We live in hope). The service may have been
Circa 1826 made for Thomas Dobree, whose great-uncle William, a merchant in
Consisting of an octagonal dinner plate, an oblong octagonal platter London, had the arms registered for himself and his three brothers at
framed with the original Grant of Arms, executed in gold and colors on the College of Arms in 1726. Between 1750 and 1760, six armorial
vellum and signed by the Principal King of Arms, with original tooled services were made for the Dobree family and four of them have the
leather covered and lined case, English, 1726, together with a circular shield incorrectly painted blue instead of red. These examples are from
punch bowl, restored. the sixth and last service.
9in (dinner plate); 11 1/2in (29.2cm) (platter length and bowl diameter)
(4). Related works:
For a plate in the Peabody Essex Museum, see William R. Sargent,
US$3,000 - 4,000 Treasures of Chinese Export Ceramics from the Peabody Essex
Museum, Salem, 2012, 380, no. 207, acquired at Bonhams’ London,
March 22, 2005 (lot 17); Shirley Mueller, “Chinese Export Porcelain
Provenance Curiosities, Oriental Art, Vol. XLVI, No. 1, 2000, 18, figs. 6a-6b),
Christie’s New York, 22 September 1987 another example in a private collection. Heirloom & Howard Limited
offered a plate from this service in List 75, March 2014, no. 16.
The porcelains from this service are extremely rare examples of
Chinese enamellers misunderstanding orders from the West. Coats
of arms are very precise in their designs and colors, but when a
bookplate was sent to China of the Dobree arms with the required
colors inscribed on the bookplate, instructions were not clearly
delivered and the enamellers could not read English. The decorators
mistook the inscriptions for part of the design, incorporating the words
and then coloring the service inaccurately in four areas: two of blue
mantling show the word ‘red’ and two of rose show the word ‘green.’
Only one other service with this type of error is known, made for the
Andros family, related to the Dobrees by marriage.

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