QIANLONG 1736 – 1795 Chinese Export Porcelain
A Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Coffee Cup c.1740-1750. Decorated with a Scene from Aesop`s Fables Called the `House-dog and the Wolf`. The Central Scene in a Scroll Work Cartouche Depicts a Hound and a Wolf Near a Building. The Gilded Border is of Scrolling Foliage.
SOLD
- Condition
- Perfect.
- Size
- Height : 6.1 cm (2 1/4 inches)
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 22594
- References
- For a Chinese export porcelain coffee cup and saucer with this design see : China for the West, Chinese Porcelain & other Decorative Arts for Export Illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection (David S. Howard and John Ayers, Sotheby`s,1978) Volume 1, page 343, plate 340. For a cup and saucer with a somewhat simplified version of this design and with different border see : Chinese Export Porcelain in the Reeves Center Collection at Washington and Lee University (Thomas V.Litzenburg Jr. Third Millennium Publishing London 2003. ISBN 1-903942-1-9-5) page 182 plate 178.
Information
House-Dog and Wolf :
This scene is from Aesop`s Fables and depicts the story of the `House-dog and the Wolf`. Invited by the hound to visit his master`s house and enjoy a "bellyful of victuals," the wolf replies that he would rather have a "dry crust with liberty, against a king`s luxury with a chain".
Previously I wrote :
The source for this design has not been firmly established but it could be from an edition of Aesop`s Fables published in England in 1687 `Aesop`s Fables with his Life: in English, French and Latin. Newly Translated. Illustrated with One hundred and twelve Sculptures`. This version of the Fables was first published by Francis Barlow in 1666 but all copies were destroyed by the Fire of London of the same year, the second edition of 1687 was printed by H. Hills junior for Barlow, again in London. The illustrations or as they were referred to `sculptures`, were etchings probably by Barlow himself.
(Update after the cup was sold) I have since found the source :
Samuel Croxall c.1723. See last image.