EIDER AND ITS BASIN IN IRON RED PORCELAIN AND GOLDEN DECOR China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century The ewer in the form of a nautilus resting on a pedestal, the basin in the form of a shell resting on three small feet, decorated with a dragon with four claws, evolving in the middle of clouds, above the flames, the border decorated with a frieze of stylized banana leaves and flowers, the handle enamelled blue and brown, bearing labels Vanderven Oriental Art n°521 and Antiquités M. Lebrum in Brussels; restorations to the handle and to the basin (below), enamel jumps and small chips, wear H. 30,4 cm (12 in.) l. 36.8 cm (14 ½ in.) A gold-decorated iron-red porcelain ewer and basin, China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century Pieces of this form are inspired by European silverware and often made of Chinese Imari porcelain with flower and foliate scroll decoration, such as a set similar to the pieces we present here dating from the years 1720-1735 and illustrated in D. Howard and J. Ayers, Masterpieces of Chinese Export Porcelain from the Mottahedeh Collection in the Virginia Museum, 1980, p. 40, pl. 125. Rare examples that have come up for sale in recent years include: - An ewer and its basin dating from the years 1760-1765, from from the former Leon Levy collection, sold at Sotheby's Paris on October 2, 2008, lot 11. - A set consisting of a ewer and a basin from the Yongzheng period, sold at Sotheby's London, May 15, 2013, lot 354 while two others were sold at Christie's London, July 8, 2010, lot 1013 and in New York, February 2, 2022, lot 23.