A rare and particularly charming late 18th century Chinese Export porcelain tankard, circa 1780 to 1800, decorated in famille rose enamels and distinguished by an unusual chicken skin ground.
The cylindrical porcelain body features a finely textured surface composed of hundreds of tiny raised dots, traditionally referred to as a chicken skin ground. Reserved panels are beautifully hand painted with colorful flowering bouquets, butterflies, insects and scattered blossoms in delicate famille rose enamels. Smaller floral cartouches and individual flowers punctuate the textured ground, while a vivid green band encircles the upper rim.
The substantial loop handle is molded directly into the porcelain, and the interior remains undecorated, allowing the pale porcelain body to contrast beautifully with the exuberant exterior.
Produced in China for the Western export market during the late Qianlong period, this unusual tankard combines a classic European drinking vessel form with highly decorative Chinese porcelain techniques. The chicken skin surface is particularly appealing and considerably less commonly encountered than the smooth grounds found on most Chinese Export tankards...
Category
1780s Chinese Antique Lisbon - Ceramics