punch-bowl BM-Franks.625.a

Period:Qing dynasty Production date:1750-1770 (circa)
Materials:porcelain
Technique:glazed, painted,
Subjects:hunting/shooting
Dimensions:Diameter: 34.30 centimetres Height: 15 centimetres

Description:
‘Famille rose’ punchbowl with English hunting scenes. Two naturalistic landscape scenes with hunting parties are painted on the outside of this punchbowl in ‘famille rose’ enamels. On one side are four mounted huntsmen, two wearing round hunting horns, riding among a pack of hounds; on the other side hunters are searching for the chase among shrubs and hedgerows. In between these scenes are floral cartouches above small iron-red landscape panels, and on the inside of the bowl are a central spray of peonies and other flowers.
IMG


Comments:Harrison-Hall and Krahl 1994:These designs appear to be taken from 18th-century engravings. The first scene was probably painted after ‘Brushing into Cover’ by Pierre Charles Canot (1710-77), a French artist working in England, the second after ‘Beating and Trailing for a Hare’ by the English artist Thomas Burford (c. 1710-74) (Howard and Ayers, 1978, vol. I, pl. 280 b; Hervouet and Bruneau, 1986, nos. 3.25 a,b).Punchbowls with hunting scenes were used before and after a day’s hunt. Punch, an alcoholic cocktail, made to a variety of recepies and strengths, is still served in England today where hunting continues to be a popular field sport. On porcelain, hunting scenes are most commonly found on punchbowls. A very similar piece is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. (Hervouet and Bruneau, 1986, nos. 3.25 a, b); another with related hunting designs is in the Mottahedeh collection (Howard and Ayers, 1978, vol. I , pl. 280). Similar hunting scenes combined with an English coat of arms are also known from a dinner service (Howard and Ayers, 1978, vol. I, pl. 279).