A George V sterling silver mounted Chinese porcelain ewer, London 1913 by Lionel Alfred Crichton

The mounts in the Elizabethan style, the Kangxi period (1662-1722) porcelain late transitional period (1644-83). The baluster body with a S shaped spout with scroll form junction, opposite a C scroll handle. Painted to the exterior with a figural scene depicting figures within a courtyard looking toward the moon, against mountains, the obverse side with a seated figure against a rock, the waisted neck with leafy palmettes and concentric circles. The neck mounted with a box hinge with incised hatch work leading to a domed lid raised by a mask form thumbpiece, the lid surmounted by a triple knop thumbpiece above a scalloped terrace. Embossed decoration of strapwork reserves with bouquets of fruit, with a cut and engraved leafy scalloped edge mount. The foot rim with an egg and dart border below a leafy scalloped edge mount. Gilt interior and gilt underside to the foot. Fully marked underneath and to neck mount, part-marked to the lid.

Height – 24.1 cm / 9.45 inches

This ewer and the following lot an Elizabethan silver mounted cup shares a provenance history with the highly important Ming porcelain canteen bottle now in the Smithsonian museum (accession number: F1958.2), which was sold by the vendor’s family initially: Sotheby’s, London, “Fine Early Chinese Pottery and Porcelain…,” 29 Oct 1957, lot 166: “An Important 15th Century Large Blue and White Circular Flask”. However, additional research has revealed a likely link between this canteen and this silver mounted porcelain with the Oriental porcelain dealer Alfred Samson de Pinna (1868-1963).

Provenance:

Pre-1947:

Arthur Abraham Clifford De Pinna (1889 - 1947). The son of David Saffeti De Pinna (1853-1908) whose probate effects were sworn at £810, 6s 9d. In the 1911 census Arthur is described as a “second hand furniture dealer”. ‘A.C. de Pinna Limited’ located at 20 Dover Street, Piccadilly was no longer considered financially viable on the 6^th January 1914, and it went into voluntary liquidation on the 10^th June 1914. After serving in WWI on the 7^th of January 1919 Arthur relinquished his appointment and would again go into business however by 1931, he was facing bankruptcy charges filed by his creditors. The case was proved in March 1932 and the business went into receivership. He was survived by his wife inheriting the sum of £3462.

From 1947 to 1957 (sale of canteen flask) to 1986:

Clare de Pinna (1889-1986), Chiswick, London, by descent from her husband Arthur in 1947.

1986: Present

Thence by descent

Potential earlier Provenance:

Alfred Samson de Pinna (1868-1963) was the son of Charles David de Pinna (1840-1894), an Ostrich Feather Merchant in 1881 and his wife Janette (1844-1929). Alfred was described as an ‘oriental salesman’ in the 1891 census, while living with his father, now described as a publican.

David Saffeti De Pinna (1853-1908) was the son of Alfred Raphael De Pinna (1831-1915) described as an Ostrich Feather Merchant in 1861 and his wife Jeanette (b.c.1833).

Both Alfred Raphael De Pinna (1831-1915) and Charles David de Pinna (1840-1894) were the sons of David de Pinna (1809-1869), who was described as a shoemaker in the 1841 census, and his wife Caroline (1811-1886) whom he married on the 25^th Dec 1827.

Therefore, Alfred Samson de Pinna (1868-1963) is likely to have been the owner of this item and this passed onto either his first cousin David Saffeti De Pinna (1853-1908) or his first cousin once removed, Arthur, during his time as a furniture dealer. Alfred Samson de Pinna operated between 1903-1930 at 89, Regent Street, W1, London, England, 1932-33 at 12 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, W.1, London, England, and in 1948 at 25 Brook Street, W.1, London, England.

The very first interactions between Chinese products and English silver were in the Elizabethan period with a vogue for mounting Chinese porcelain in silver, these porcelains were precious imported goods held in the utmost esteem at the time. Other items to be mounted in silver during this period included Rhinish pottery, Iznik pottery, coconuts, and nautilus shells. Secular silver from the Tudor and early Stuart period is renowned for its rarity, with most surviving pieces being spoons and ecclesiastical communion cups. Since Octavius Morgan published his first texts on silver hallmarks throughout 1852-53 scholars of silver have sought out to record early surviving silver, with the first comprehensive work published by Sir Charles Jackson in 1905. Several other important collections of early silver were formed in the first half of the 20th century; by J. P Morgan, Sir Ernest Cassell, John Dunn Gardiner, Samuel Montagu 1st Baron Swaythling and Irwin Untermyer. In recent times the David Little collection of pre-civil war silver comprised of just 24 pieces that were not a spoon nor communion plate, sold Christie's London, 3 Dec 2019 (sale total £1,612,875 incl. prem). In the early 20^th century revivalism was in absolute full swing, having began in small instances through the early to middle 19^th century, by the 1880’s the demand for ‘antique’ silver was so strong this facilitated the need to readily produce reproductions of older items of silverware. The firm of Crichton responded to the wishes of their customers for these rare early Anglo – Chinese pieces and produced some anachronistic ‘revivals’ to meet demand. Here a 17^th century Chinese porcelain ewer of the Kangxi period (1662-1722) from the late transitional period (1644-83), has been given silver mounts in late 16^th century English style. Overlooking the fact that the style of these mounts predates the actual vessel by a century.

A Crichton silver mounted Kangxi period ewer of 1912 was sold Christie’s New York, 14 April 2005, lot 136 ($14,400 incl. prem)

A Crichton silver mounted Ming dynasty bowl of circa 1910 was sold Sotheby’s New York, 20 May 2004, lot 3