Page 114 - Bonhams NYC Chinese works of Art March 2019

Export Art and Textiles

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A VERY RARE AMERICAN MARKET CHINESE EXPORT
PORCELAIN TODDY JUG
Circa 1800-1810
A robust and finely potted barrel-shaped jug with gracefully arched The ship may be identified as an American merchant ship (bark or
cross-strap handles ending in fully modeled antifixes of leaves and brig), around 1800, engaged in trade with China. The rigging has been
berries, each side of the jug with a black enamel depiction of a ship executed in some detail, with one crew member climbing the ropes
bearing an American pennant on the main mast and a large American and three walking the deck. An anchor and an eagle figurehead are
flag on the stern, the lid with a fu lion knop, details in gilding. visible on the bow. There is no other known version of this specially
10 5/8in (27cm) high ordered design. Other notable maritime jugs decorated with American
ships on each side of the handle include two examples with the ship in
$6,000 - 8,000 fair weather and in foul weather. One is in the Peabody Essex Museum
(acc. No. E50557), Salem, Massachusetts, another was in the
collection of Mrs. H. Insley Blair. On the latter example, under the spout
1800-1810年 外銷墨彩描金船舶紋執壺 is a mound of land as on this example, which also depicts a small tree.

Although this jug was likely decorated in China, the style of shading See Homer Eaton Keyes, “American Ship Lowestoft,” in Elinor Gordon
implies the source of the image for the Chinese enameller was a ed., Chinese Export Porcelain: An Historical Survey, New York, 1975,
watercolor, perhaps Mediterranean in origin, rather than the more pp.127-132, figs. 12-14.
common use of a print, which would have resulted in a cross-hatched,
linear style. Artists provided ships’ crews with paintings of their vessels We would like to thank Daniel Finamore, Russell W. Knight Curator
in ports around the world. One such artist in Naples Italy was Guiseppi of Maritime Art and History, Peabody Essex Museum, for sharing his
Fedi (active 1792-1819) who painted American ships from Marblehead, thoughts on this piece.
Boston, Salem, Newburyport and elsewhere.

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