Chinese Export Anglo-Indian Market Elephant & Mahout Chargers, Pair, circa 1760

A very fine and exceptionally rare pair of circa 1760 Qianlong period Chinese export for the Anglo-Indian market chargers of large size, the molded and scallop-shaped bodies painted with delicately enameled 'bianco-sopra-bianco' floral borders with polychrome lotus flowers and buds surrounding central cusped cartouches painted with 'famille rose' enamels and gilding depicting 'mahouts' of differing ethnicities astride elephants of differing breeds in a landscape of rocks and flowers.

Ceramics expert Nicolas Fournery notes: "Three porcelain services were commissioned with variations of this design, the chargers here being from the first and most carefully painted service. The distinctive background effect, 'bianco-sopra-bianco', was obtained by applying thick white enamel over a white ground; a similar technique employed on Italian maiolica and English delftware. Originally intended for the Anglo-Indian market, pieces from these services eventually found their way to Europe."

Identical examples are illustrated in:

Jorg, Christiaan, J. A. "Chinese Porcelain in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Ming and Qing Dynasties." The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1997, p. 296, pl. 348.

Forbes, H.A. Crosby. "Yang-ts’ai: The Foreign Colors : Rose Porcelains of the Ch’ing dynasty." China Trade Museum, 1982, no. 78.

Kerr, Rose, and Luisa Mengoni. "Chinese Export Ceramics." V&A Publishing, London, 2011, pl. 165.

Beurdeley, Michel. "Chinese Trade Porcelain." Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland, VT, 1962, cat. 81.

Brawer, Catherine Coleman. "Chinese Export Porcelain from the Ethel Liebman and Arthur L. Liebman Porcelain Collection." Elvehjem Art Center, Madison, WI, 1992, no. 88.

Howard, David and John Ayers. "China for the West: Chinese porcelain and Other Decorative Arts for Export Illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection." Sotheby Parke Bernet, London and New York, 1978, vol. II., no. 478.

Hervouët, François, Nicole Hervouët and Yves Bruneau. "La Porcelaine des Compagnie des Indes à Décor Occidental." Flammarion, Paris, 1986, nos. 4.31 – 4.32.

Gordon, Elinor. "Collecting Chinese Export Porcelain." Universe Books, New York, 1977, pl. 71.

Litzenburg, Thomas V. Jr. "Chinese Export Porcelain in the Reeves Center Collection at Washington and Lee University." Third Millenium Publishing Ltd, London, 2003, p. 67, pl. 50.