Description

This large and beautiful Chinese mug is hand-painted with vivid images of birds and flowers. Lavish baroque-style gilt adds to its beauty. The exquisite decoration blends Chinese motifs with Western baroque style gilding. It’s a feast for the eyes.

This mug dates to the second half of the nineteenth century. It was crafted in a southern Chinese porcelain workshop and decorated in Guangzhou. In this commercial and shipping hub, international traders were given official residency permissions by Qing emperors.

We purchased this mug from the estate of Mario Buatta. Mario was one of our very best clients for four decades.

Dimensions

Diameter 4.5″, height 5.5″, depth to the end of the handle 7″

Condition

Excellent

Price

$1,600

Provenance

The private collection of Mario Buatta

Background of Guangzhou porcelains

Since the late 18th century, the Guangzhou workshops were famous for their inclusive decorative styles that smoothly wove Chinese themes into Western designs. Often, foreign dealers would bring European pattern books or wooden models to Guangzhou before placing custom-made orders. Chinese artisans learned Western patterns and incorporated them into their export products.