The Helen Espir Collection - 12 Nov 2014
A Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated plate and a coffee cup 18th century
A Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated plate and a coffee cup 18th century, the plate originally decorated with a cell diaper rim and small flower sprays in underglaze blue, later-enamelled with profile portraits of William V of Orange and Wilhelmina of Prussia facing each other beneath a small orange tree, the coffee cup painted in red, green and black with a profile panel of William IV between spray of fruiting orange branch, above a banner inscribed 'WCHF tot Stadt: Verk: 1747', and an English creamware teapot enamelled in Holland with the same design as the plate, 23.5cm max. (4)
Provenance: the Helen Espir Collection, nos. 722, 883 and 399.
Illustrated: Helen Espir, European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain, p.177, pl.28 for the plate and teapot.
The decoration on the plate and teapot dates to around 1767, when William V married Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia. He had become Stadtholder and Captain-General of the Dutch States Army the previous year.