A RARE BLUE AND WHITE MONTEITH

Kangxi, c. 1700-1715

Kangxi, c. 1700-1715
The crenelated rim dressed in a café-au-lait glaze, the exterior decorated with alternating panels of mythical beasts and exotic birds in flowering gardens, on a reverse-decorated ground of trailing lotus and chrysanthemum sprays, the interior decorated with precious objects and dishes of auspicious fruits. 31.7cm (12 1/2in) diam.

This rare form in Chinese porcelain derives from British silver examples, which originated circa 1680. The scalloped rims held wine glass bases, so the bowls could cool in the ice. The bowls were named after an eccentric Scot, Lord Monteith, who was remarked for wearing a scalloped coat which the bowl's rim resembled.
See a similar example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number 564-1907.