Monkey teapot
Porcelain and enamels, J.J. Kändler (modeller), Meissen, Germany, ca.1735
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Monkey teapot
Porcelain and enamels, J.J. Kändler (modeller), Meissen, Germany, ca.1735
The Chitra Collection is an extraordinary private museum of historic teawares. In 2011 Nirmal Sethia, the Chairman of the luxury tea company, Newby Teas, set himself the task of acquiring the world’s greatest collection of teawares to record and preserve tea cultures of the past. Today, the collection, named in honour of his late wife, Chitra, totals almost 2000 objects and is already the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of its kind.
Porcelain and enamels, J.J. Kändler (modeller), Meissen, Germany, ca.1735
Porcelain and enamels, J.J. Kändler (modeller), Meissen, Germany, ca.1735
Silver-gilt and cloisonné enamel, Pavel Ovchinnikov, Russia, 1896-1908
Silver-gilt and cloisonné enamel, Pavel Ovchinnikov, Russia, 1896-1908
Bloodstone and gold openwork, Germany, ca.1750
Bloodstone and gold openwork, Germany, ca.1750
Silver and ivory, Paul Storr, England, 1814
Silver and ivory, Paul Storr, England, 1814
#Didyouknow that during the 18th century, armorial porcelain was a luxury item and about ten times more expensive than 'regular' Chinese porcelain exported to Europe? These porcelain wares painted with family crests and coat of arms, which were specially commissioned by wealthy Europeans to show off their status, wealth and taste. A full service could take over 4 years to receive, and mistakes were not uncommon!
This Chinese porcelain tea bowl and saucer were decorated for Theodorus van Reverhorst (1706-58) while he was based in the port of Batavia as a member of the Dutch East India Company's Council of Justice. The surrounding coats of arms are for his eight great-grandparents. The vibrancy of this heraldic ornament and the elaborate curlicues suggest Theodorus was quite proud of his ancestry.
