punch-bowl BM-Franks.745.+

Period:Qing dynasty Production date:1780-1785 (circa)
Materials:porcelain
Technique:glazed, painted,
Subjects:harbour/port
Dimensions:Diameter: 36 centimetres Height: 15 centimetres

Description:
‘Grisaille’-and-gold painted punchbowl showing the Western trading stations along the Canton waterfront. The exterior of this punchbowl is painted ‘en grisaille’ with a continuous frieze of the trading stations, built in European style along the bund at Canton. Outside these trading stations are six national flags, flying from tall posts along the quay, which identify the buildings as those of the East India Companies of Holland, England, Sweden, Austria, France and Denmark. European merchants in tricorne hats and frock coats are painted conducting their business inside and outside of these trading stations. Much of the quay has been fenced off down to the water and small Chinese boats are moored to the harbour wall. Inside the bowl is a delicately painted floral medallion.
IMG


Comments:Harrison-Hall and Krahl 1994:The factories shown here were called ‘hongs’ by the Europeans, after the Cantonese pronounciation of the Chinese word for company or business, hang, and these bowls are often known as ‘hong bowls’. The Western traders lived and worked in these rented trading stations built along the banks of the Pearl River in the south-west quarter of Canton, during the five-month trading season (August-January). From about 1760 to 1800 the Canton waterfront was repeatedly depicted in oil-paintings, watercolours and engravings, so that its changing appearance is well recorded. Architectural details of the warehouses, which were rebuilt in 1743 in Western style, are therefore of interest for the dating of these views (Crossman, 1991, pp.423- 35). The appearance or lack of particular flags similarly help to pinpoint their dating. These features, however, can only provide a ‘terminus post quem’ for the bowls since these views on porcelains as well as on ivory, silk and paper fans were not copied from life but from painted or printed pictures, sometimes of earlier date. On the present bowl the British factory is painted with arched entrances and thicker columns than in earlier views (see BM Franks. 746+) as it looked around 1780 to 1785. The view can be dated before 1784 when the American flag appeared at Canton after the arrival of ship “The Empress of China”. A similar view is seen in an early century engraving, also in the British Museum collection (BM 1877.1013. 230) which is based on a picture dated 1789 and entitled ‘The Foreigners Quarter at Canton’. In its material and potting the present bowl appears to be fairly early in date and being decorated ‘en grisaille’ is extremely rare.