Rare Chelsea porcelain sucrier and cover, c. 1750.

A previously unrecorded Chelsea porcelain sucrier and cover, c. 1750. Modelled after a Chinese blanc de chine peach shaped libation cup, and moulded with a stalk handle. Finely hand painted to the exterior, in the Kakiemon style, with the ‘Rat and Vine’ pattern, with the rat running along a banded hedge, over which the vine grows.
The reverse painted with a ‘Flying Fox’ in iron red and gilt, amongst floral sprays.
Further floral sprays adorn the interior, with a single leaf ‘hiding’ a firing fault to the rim.
Surmounted by a slightly domed cover, moulded with a further stem, from which emerges a leaf to form the finial. Painted to compliment the base.

Three spur marks to the base, within a ground footrim.

Whilst this item is previously unrecorded in literature, a matching cream jug is illustrated by William King, in Chelsea Porcelain (1922) pl.20, fig. 1.

This extremely rare sucrier and cover, clearly shows how European factories utilised aspects of Chinese and Japanese shape and design, whilst being unafraid to combine them to create items suitable for the Western table. Such items would have helped satiate the demand of a wealthy client base, who were not only captivated by porcelain, but determined to display their sophisticated taste, to friends and colleagues.

Medium: Porcelain

Height: 10.4 cm,4 1/8”.

Width: 12 cm,4 3/4”

Depth: 11 cm, 4 1/4”.

Condition: Repair to small chip on the footrim. Typical firing faults and firing stress cracks.