Sold Ceramics - Sold Shipwreck Porcelains - The Nanking Cargo, 1752 - Other wares - Page 1

Objects 2012522

Covered jar

China

c.1720

Provenance: The Nanking Cargo sale, Christie's Amsterdam, 28 April - 2 May 1986

Height with cover 238 mm (9.37 inch), height without cover 210 mm (8.27 inch), diameter 230 mm (9.05 inch), diameter of mouthrim 83 mm (3.27 inch), diameter of footring 115 mm (4.53 inch), weight including cover 2,414 grams (86.10 ounce (oz.)), weight cover 259 grams (9.14 ounce (oz.))

Published: Schitterende Scherven. Archeologie, stillevens en verzamelingen, Held from 6 October 2024 to 9 February 2025 at the Veenkoloniaal Museum Veendam, The Netherlands, pp.42-43, Afb. 25.

Exhibited: Schitterende Scherven. Archeologie, stillevens en verzamelingen, Held from 6 October 2024 to 9 February 2025 at the Veenkoloniaal Museum Veendam, The Netherlands.

Oviform jar on footring with a wide cylindrical cover over the short, unglazed neck. Decorated in underglaze blue with leafy lotus alternating with stylized (Shou) longevity characters. Round the foot a petal panel border and on the shoulder a band with ruyi motifs. On the cover leafy lotus and on the sides a band with ruyi motifs. On the base of the jar and inside the cover the original Christie's The Nanking Cargo sale lot 3246. (Amsterdam 1986, p.138. lot 3246)

Two large crates are taken along on the Geldermalsen containing the 'permitted small boxes', addressed to various persons in the Netherlands. The contents are not specified, but one naturally thinks of all of silk fabrics and porcelain.

Besides the tens of thousands of pieces of Company porcelain, Hatcher has also recovered a small number of far more exclusive objects. Very likely these were private possessions. Crew members and pasgangers take along their souvenirs or pieces that they can sell at home with considerable profit. Those remaining in the East send an exotic present to family or friends. The objects found are typical trinkets and may very well have been packed in the permitted boxes. What exactly belonged to whom cab no longer be traced. Thus, we consider all the porcelain not clearly belonging to the VOC to be private porcelain.

In all, this includes 370 objects. There are 177 tea bowls and saucers, some of a smaal, ribbed model with flaring sides, which we usually date as being early 18th century. Here is the evidence that they were manufactured at least until the middles of that century. There are small, delicately made vases, one set of large and one of small cupboard garnitures, ginger pots, an incomplete tea service of soft-paste porcelain, several ewers and basins and a small ragout tureen. A rarity is one single octagonal plate decorated in blue-and-white with a river landscape. On the rocky bank to the right is depicted a building which seems to be a Christian church with ywo crosses on top of it. Tea pots and all kinds of 'unassorted' articles complete the list. The group of 68 porcelain figures is by far the nicest. (Amsterdam 1986, p.98)

In their permitted boxes of one square foot the private individuals on the ship could not transport large objects. They bought small items, small but exquisite. They were valuable souvenirs, gifts and sometimes perhaps commercial articles, but their real value lay in the exotic aspect.

In that respect little has changed. We still visit porcelain auctions, Chinese porcelain still has its artistic, historical, and financial value and it still continuous to fascinate us. (Amsterdam 1986, p.103)

In total only three blue-and-white oviform jars and covers in the 'Private Cargo', 'Chinese Ceramics' were sold, divided over the lots: 3546, 3247 & 3248. (Amsterdam 1986, p.138, lots 3546, 3547 & 3548)

Condition: Poor, a piece of the wall from the jar is missing.

References:

Amsterdam 1986, lots 3546, 3547 & 3548

Vister - van Riemsdijk 2024, Afb. 25

Price: Sold.