A rare Chinese blue and white 'Mountainous Landscape' lobed ...

Hammer

€5,000

A rare Chinese blue and white 'Mountainous Landscape' lobed goblet, Kangxi

Dia.: 7,9 cm - H.: 11,4 cm

Provenance:
- Luis Alegria, Porto, with their label.
- The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above on 16 March 2017 during TEFAF Maastrict, accompanied by a copy of their original invoice. (see added scan)

Exhibited:
- TEFAF Maastricht, Luis Alegria, 2017.

A five-lobed goblet raised on a foot from which a slender stem rises, supporting the cup above. Finely decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, the upper section is divided into five panels, each painted on the exterior with a mountainous river landscape, rendered with subtle variations in each section. The stem is decorated with stylised scroll motifs and features a fine raised relief band at the centre, while the foot is painted with stylised pointed leaf motifs. The interior is decorated at the centre with a lingzhi sprig, while the rim is encircled by a hatched band.
The unusual goblet form was most likely inspired by Western drinking vessels, such as European wine glasses or kandeel cups. Adapted by Chinese porcelain makers, it reflects the cultural exchange between East and West that characterised the export porcelain trade, combining a European-derived shape with refined Chinese craftsmanship and decoration.

Reference:
A closely related example but octagonal with floral and riverscape design is in the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands, object number 1899.0280. Another closely comparable example is in the Frelinghuysen Collection, illustrated by Becky Macquire, 'Four Centuries of Blue and White. The Frelinghuysen Collection of Chinese and Japanese Export Porcelain', p. 387, no. 382.

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