Tea Bowl and Saucer
MakerMade by
Unknown
Dateearly 19th century
MediumWheel-thrown hard paste porcelain with gilding and overglaze black enamel
DimensionsComponent (height x diameter of tea bowl): 1 7/8 x 3 1/2in. (4.8 x 8.9cm)
Component (diameter of saucer): 5 1/2in. (14cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineBequest of George Dudley Seymour
Object number1945.1.1473a-b
DescriptionRound, hard paste porcelain tea bowl (.a) and saucer (.b) with hand-painted gilding and overglaze black enamel; they are Chinese export porcelain decorated with a technique called grisaille. The center of the saucer has a cluster of two large black flowers, leaves, and smaller flowers, highlighted with gilding. This is surrounded by a series of borders, beginning with an area of white, then a border of a dotted line, scalloped line, and straight line where the inside of the rim meets the bottom of the saucer. The rim has six hand-painted flowers evenly spaced along a scalloped, dotted line. These are surrounded by two straight lines with a dotted line between, creating the final border at the edge of the rim.
The tea bowl has a similar series of patterns and borders beginning with the same cluster of two large black flowers with gilded highlights located on the outside of the tea bowl. The outside of the tea bowl is also decorated with three small, evenly-spaced flowers. The outside rim of the tea bowl is surrounded by a border of a dotted line, scalloped line, and straight line. The inside rim of the tea bowl is decorated with four hand-painted flowers evenly spaced along a scalloped, dotted line. Above this are two straight lines with a dotted line between, creating the final border at the inside edge of the rim. The inside bottom of the tea bowl has one small flower.
The gilded highlights on the tea bowl and saucer have mostly worn away; there were probably more highlights on the flowers and additional lines of gilding at the rim of both the tea bowl and saucer.
The tea bowl has a similar series of patterns and borders beginning with the same cluster of two large black flowers with gilded highlights located on the outside of the tea bowl. The outside of the tea bowl is also decorated with three small, evenly-spaced flowers. The outside rim of the tea bowl is surrounded by a border of a dotted line, scalloped line, and straight line. The inside rim of the tea bowl is decorated with four hand-painted flowers evenly spaced along a scalloped, dotted line. Above this are two straight lines with a dotted line between, creating the final border at the inside edge of the rim. The inside bottom of the tea bowl has one small flower.
The gilded highlights on the tea bowl and saucer have mostly worn away; there were probably more highlights on the flowers and additional lines of gilding at the rim of both the tea bowl and saucer.
Status
Not on view
