Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

Two Chinese blanc de Chine lion dog joss stick holders Kangxi 1662-1722, one later decorated, probably in Germany by Ignaz Preissler, with four hunting scenes around the rectangular base in schwarzlot, one of killing a bear, two of hunting lions, the fourth of catching leopards to be trained for the chase, and with gilt, black and red enamel details to the lion itself, 12.8cm. (2)

Provenance: the Helen Espir Collection, nos. 404 and 839.

Illustrated: Helen Espir, European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain, p.135, pls. 27 and 28.

Originally from Bohemia, it is believed that Preissler trained at Nuremberg, where such black enamelling was a speciality, and he is known to have worked at Breslau (Germany) for some time. A Chinese beaker in the collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum bears similar decoration (accession no. 445-1869). The scenes derive from designs by Jan van der Straet (called Stradanus) for a series of hunting tapestries, engraved in the 16th century for Cosimo de Medici. Preissler is known to have copied the same scenes onto Meissen porcelain as well. The training of leopards, or more probably cheetah, to assist in large animal hunts was widespread in the Middle East, India and China, spreading to Europe in the Middle Ages.