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For internal use only
On Display: Galleries
Figure (Bird (owl))
1785-1795
Category
Ceramics
Place of Origin
Jingdezhen; China; Asia
Materials
- Porcelain (hard-paste)
- Lime (alkaline) glaze
Museum Object Number
2000.0061.099
Credit Line/Donor
Gift of Leo A. and Doris C. Hodroff
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Complete Details
Object Number
2000.0061.099
Object Name
Figure (Bird (owl))
Category
Ceramics
Place of Origin
Jingdezhen; China; Asia
Date
1785-1795
Mark/Signature/Inscription/Label
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: Large, white, rectangular paper label with "617/Pair of Owls/c 1760-1780/Heights 10 1/4 in, 10 3/8 in (26cm, 26.3 cm)/The birds with their distinctive ear tufts are perched on/pierced rockwork bases with wings folded and splayed tail/feathers. Details of the feathers are moulded, and enam-/elled in sepia-brown, with the black-rimmed eyes in yellow and green respectively, and the bases in black mottled with/blue and green. The models are the same and each has a/flat base, pierced with a central hole.//These rare models are perhaps to be identified as scops/owls; small birds here represented life-size, and with dis-/tinctive ear tufts which, however, should be set somewhat/higher on the head. Compare a pair in English porcelain at/the Victoria & Albert Museum (Tait, 'Birds in European/Ceramic Art', Apollo, April, 1958, fig XVII) which have/been ascribed to the Longton Hall factory (although this/attribution is no longer regarded as certain). From the/somewhat tentative (see Continuation)
Inscription: (Continuation) quality of both modelling and enamel-/ling it seems likely that the Chinese representation was/copied from a drawing or engraving. The pierced rockwork/bases are of course typically Chinese.//Illustrated: Sotheby's, 2 June 1970, lot 161 (and there/ascribed to the Chia Ch'ing period, which is perhaps later/than their underlying quality merits.)" in black type
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: White, rounded rectangular paper label with "2" in red print
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: Gold, circular paper label with "EARLE VANDERKAR/GUARANTEED/GENUINE/LONDON" in black print
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: Blue, circular paper label with a black border and "·MOTTAHEDEH COLLECTION·/333/SOTHEBY'S/ N.Y." typed in black ink
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: White, circular paper label with two black borders around "·RAFI Y. MOTTAHEDEH·/COLLECTION" in black print
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: White, rectangular paper label with "2321 ILLUST IN. REF./HOWARD + AYERS- CHINA/FOR THE WEST, EX. MOTTA/HEDEH COLLECTION- VICTORIA + ALBERT/MUSEUM- TAIT BOOK" handwritten in black and red ink
Type: Label
Location: Underside
Inscription: White, rectangular paper label with "OWL STATUETTE- 10 1/4"HT./CHINA EXP. PORC. PERCH/ON ROCKWORK- LIFE SIZES/BLACK RIM EYES- BASE/MOTTLED BLACK + BLUE GREEN/CIRCA 1760-80 2521" handwritten in black and red ink
Mark/Signature: No
Materials
- Porcelain (hard-paste)
- Lime (alkaline) glaze
Techniques
- Molded
- Enameled
- Painted
Dimensions (inches)
10.276 (H) x 4.646 (W) x 4.291 (L)
Dimensions (centimeters)
26.1 (H) x 11.8 (W) x 10.9 (L)