A large armorial imari vase, Qing dynasty, early 18th Century.
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Decorated with flowers and the Royal arms of France encircled by the Collars of the Orders of Saint-Michel and Saint-Esprit. Height 103 cm.
Damages, restored.
Provenance
Bought at Bukowskis 1926, lot no 225. Image pl 17. Then one of a set of two, the other one with the arms of the regent sold in these rooms 2008.
Exhibitions
Compare similar vase at Musèe du Louvre, Paris.
Compare vase exhibited at Hong Kong Museum of Art, 'A Taste for China', 2008, page 159.
Also compare the similar large imari vases with arms acolee in the Centre Room in the Chinese Luncheon Room of Buckinham Palace, London, England.
Literature
Michel Beurdeley, "Porcelain de la Compagnie des Indes". Beurdeley writes (p. 110) that in the document of March 10th 1724 vases of this type are mentioned in the inventory after the death of the Regent.
More information
The circumstances surrounding the original commission of these early armorial pieces are unclear.
It has been suggested that the service was ordered for Louis XV (1710-74), possibly through his Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, who comissioned a similar set with his own arms.
In the Régent's inventory there are only : "n° 1210. Treize grandes pièces de porcelaine de Chine peintes dans le goût du Japon, scavoir trois urnes, dix cornets tous marquez aux armes d'Orléans, prisez ensemble avec leurs pieds de bois sculptez et dorez, un desdits cornets, cassé et recollé" 2000 livres. (Paris, Archives nationales, X1a 9162, 10 mars - 3 juillet 1724).