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Dear Forum members:
I thought it might be fun and educational for us to offer occasionally a mystery Chinese antique item with a request that you suggest possible answers to the mystery. I therefore offer a mystery item today. The first Forum member to get the correct answer will receive a 20-cent gift card towards a Catawiki purchase and I know that Tam just cannot wait to make his first bid on Catawiki!
Anyway about 40 years ago when I first fell in love with Qing porcelains, I started buying items during trips to New York City and San Francisco from porcelain dealers who had stores, for example, on Madison Avenue in NYC or near Union Square in San Francisco. I knew very little then about Chinese art and was in general guided by the owners who I got to know fairly well. On one of my visits to NYC, I bought a bowl that was recommended (see photographs). I placed it on a carved stand on a coffee table and did not think much more about it. However, more recently when I began to watch Peter's weekly videos and started more seriously studying Chinese porcelains, I found the bowl to be somewhat puzzling. It did not fit well into any category I could think of. I eventually moved it to a less prominent location when I acquired much nicer items.
However, today by sheer coincidence I discovered what the bowl really is and the likely years of manufacture. The bowl measures 8 inches in diameter at the rim, is 3-1/2 inches in height and has a foot measuring about 3-1/2 inches in diameter. It has four decorative panels, but they repeat on opposite sides of the bowl so that only two patterns exist in the panels.
This is not really all that difficult and if I had devoted more energy to the matter the answer was readily apparent. However, I'd be curious if you can identify the bowl and can guess when it was manfactured.
Regards,
Errol
Hi Errol,
My knowledge on dating Chinese porcelain is very limited but thanks to the forum members I am learning everyday.
I do nor think your item is older than 1960. The design is limited to say the least!
Not totally convinced by the reverse.
Due to the fact that I am using s phone your bowl looks to be printed. Or is it just my eyes?
Of course I could be way off the mark as this is not my area. I had a very nasty experience way back in the 1980's where I smashed a very high priced Chien Lung plate and swore never to buy porcelain again.
Mark
Dear Mark:
Thanks for being the first to put your toe in the water! I'm afraid you have not won the 20-cent Catawiki gift card. However, seeing that it took me 40 years to discover what this bowl is you are not doing badly compared with me! I agree with you that this is by no means a great bowl. That is why I have it on the lower shelf of a Qing table the upper surface of which has a wonderful Republic-period vase. I have other items that have been here for years that were wrongly identified. It's mainly due to Peter and his wonderful weekly videos that I have begun to realize the true origin and nature of many of these items.
With kind regards,
Errol
Hi Errol,
I have exactly the same motif (houses, fisherman, flower basket) overpainted in Europe on an underglaze blue Kangxi bowl. In my opinion it’s Amsterdam bont from the first half of the 18th century but painted on a blank bowl, which is unusual.
Birgit
Hi Birgit:
That is brilliant and I'm not surprised you were the Forum member to get it correct! You are correct on every score! When I was moving from one City to another to my current home in 1997, I decided to get an opinion from Sotheby's on some of my items for insurance purposes. This was one of about 23 such items. To be quite frank their brief description of the bowl which follows did not register much with me because I was then too ignorant to even follow what they meant:
"Chinese Export Dutch-decorated bowl, mid-18th Century"
However, I've become an occasional collector of Qing teapots from all reigns largely due to Peter's influence. The other day while looking at the inventory of Shangrila Antiques in Amsterdam I came across a rather cute teapot that was I think described as a Kangxi/Yongzengh period Amsterdam Bont teapot. The term "Bont" which was obviously familiar to you rang a bell with me and I recalled Peter mentioning it on one of his weekly videos. Anyway, I did a little research and found numerous Internet example of bowls looking just like mine but somewhat smaller.
I have purchased items from Shangrila Antiques before, as I think you have, and I know the two owners Freek Pals and Bob Montagne fairly well. They are just lovely people with a real passion for Chinese porcelain particularly plates, as you know. I then sent the pictures I posted on this thread to Freek for his opinion and he responded today as follows:
Thanks Errol, also for the interesting riddle. I’m sure I‘m not the only one who would have known it, but I was up early because I have to work today. Amsterdam bont on a blanc porcelain is surely something special. I just have the usual cup and saucer. These can be acquired for little money still.
Birgit
Interesting thread. The bright colours and lack of detail really thru me.
Mark
Hi Errol,
There’s no way I’d have guessed it was bont! Well done Birgit!
I was thrown by the foot, it looks quite rounded which made me think it was much later!
Naturally, I am devastated not to have won the Catawiki voucher, but am consoled by the fact that it has gone to someone who will put it to immediate good use. ?
Nic
Well done, Birgit! I got as far as Kangxi for the bowl but then because of the style of painting (and that blue with the red) changed my mind and went for an 1830-ish maybe Japanese but as no spurs I gave up and scrolled down for an answer.
Thanks Errol, that was fun and I have learned something.
Julia
Hi all: I am pleased you liked the challenge. Shall we do more of these? It does not have to be me only although I have other puzzle items. We might, however have to exclude Birgit in the future. She just knows too much! Nic - Birgit's voucher will be mailed soon. She can then transfer it to you. Errol
I’d love more of these, it’s a great learning tool.
I very much look forward to receiving my 20-cent gift card! ?
Nic
Hello all:
Next week I'll find an item that is suitable for this. Too much of it too quickly would bore everyone. I always find it fascinating when an item I have owned for years turns out to be completely different in some way from what I had been led to believe about it. I'm sure everyone has had this experience.
Regards,
Errol
Hello all:
Here are some further examples of Amsterdam Bont items courtesy of Freek Pals of Shangrila Antiques in Amsterdam who has them in his private collection. Even though this has been an interesting exercise, I don't think I have become an overnight fan of this type of porcelain. The one bowl is enough for me! However, we are now among perhaps about 300 people in the world who know something about Amsterdam Bont and that is an achievement of sorts! The pieces all look remarkably similar and their age deserves some respect!
Errol
If I had 100 guesses I wouldn’t have been able to come up with that. I also enjoy the riddle posts. ? Todd
take it with a grain of salt
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