Saltcellar
MakerMade by
Unknown
Dateabout 1800-1820
MediumMold-formed Chinese export porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze gilding
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 1 1/2 x 4 1/8 x 3 1/8in. (3.8 x 10.5 x 7.9cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineBequest of George Dudley Seymour
DescriptionOval, Chinese export porcelain saltcellar with hand-painted gilding and underglaze cobalt blue decoration. The saltcellar consists of a shallow well that sits on a base which tapers from bottom to top. A border circling the foot of the saltcellar consists of a band of blue with a line of gilding above and below. Above this is a scalloped line of gilding with a small stylized flower emerging from each peak of the line. The top of the saltcellar is decorated with a line of gilding at the rim; a border inside that line consists of a line of small, gilded arrows pointing clockwise. An eight-pointed starburst decorates the center of the saltcellar. It is a gilded circle surrounded by a band of blue, with rays emerging from the circle in a pattern that imitates a spider web. Imperfections in the porcelain appear as black dots on the surface of the saltcellar. There are two cracks in the saltcellar, one at the foot that runs up the side, and one at one end of the top surface. Both cracks have attracted dirt over time.
Object number1945.1.1489
Subject Terms
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