Provenance:
- Lancastre Family, Portugal, c. 1700
- Private Collection, Spain 2021
Condition Report Available
€ 12,500
This object can be viewed in our gallery.
An unusual small armorial vase, made for the Portuguese market. The globular body, has lotus leaves moulded in relief around the base. It has a high neck and stands on a domed foot It is decorated in underglaze blue with vines and grapes, with a shield under a large eagle bearing the incomplete arms of the Portuguese Lancastre family. The neck and foot are decorated with squirrels, as well as grapes and vine leaves. The vase has additional striking over-glaze colours in red, green and gold, which would have been added after its arrival in Europe - probably in England. On the centre of the base is a small artemisia leaf mark and the initials R H are incised into the side of the foot. It has a later silver lid.
The influential and wealthy Lancastre family, are now particularly famous for creating a ceiling covered with Chinese porcelain at Santos palace in Lisbon (now the French Embassy). This vase was perhaps ordered by Luis de Lancastre (1644-1704) - 4th Count of Vila Nova di Portimào. The other possibility is that it was ordered, slightly later as part of a larger service for the wedding of Pedro De Lancastre (1697-1752)- 5th Count of Vila Nova di Portimào in 1711. It is recorded that, the first ordered pieces were said to have been rejected due to the errors in the coat of arms.
This type of over-decorating of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, was practised in Holland, England and Germany from the early 18th century. It is referred to as Amsterdams Bont in Holland, clobbering in England and hausmaler in Germany. Plainer pieces would be enhanced with polychrome enamels, gilding, or even entire designs, to the Western taste. The porcelain was then refired at a lower temperature (petit feu) in muffle kilns, to fix the colours to the body.
Lancastre vases of a similar form, with just underglaze blue and white and decoration, can be found in various collections. The Frelinghuysen collection has two, both with a porcelain lid. The Collection M.H. Castro, Portugal, has one with a later silver lid and the M.O.P. Collection, Lisbon has a porcelain lid.
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