Small tureen in the form of a crab – ca. 1770
Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Qianlong period (1736 - 95), ca. 1770
Porcelain painted with polychrome enamels over a transparent glaze.
"The Chinese potter modeled every element of this crab with great realism. Even its protruding eyes were made separately and then inserted, so that they move when the lid is lifted. Curiously, the naturalism of the body does not extend to its decoration, which consists of small dots, scrolls, and a honeycomb pattern in gold, The crab is affixed to a stand in the form of a lotus leaf with upturned edges and incised veins. An eighteenth-century Portuguese inventory suggests that it served as a butter dish."
Small tureen in the form of a crab – ca. 1770
Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Qianlong period (1736 - 95), ca. 1770
Porcelain painted with polychrome enamels over a transparent glaze.
"The Chinese potter modeled every element of this crab with great realism. Even its protruding eyes were made separately and then inserted, so that they move when the lid is lifted. Curiously, the naturalism of the body does not extend to its decoration, which consists of small dots, scrolls, and a honeycomb pattern in gold, The crab is affixed to a stand in the form of a lotus leaf with upturned edges and incised veins. An eighteenth-century Portuguese inventory suggests that it served as a butter dish."