A rare Chinese famille rose 'boar head' tureen and cover, Qianlong

Dim.: 35 x 24 x 30 cm (excl. stand)

Naturalistically modelled as a boar’s head, this rare tureen showcases the refined craftsmanship of the Qianlong period, with finely incised bristles, expressive features, and delicate enamels lending both realism and charm. Inspired by European faience and commissioned for export, such whimsical yet sophisticated pieces were prized centrepieces at aristocratic banquets. When filled with hot soup, steam rising from the nostrils heightened the theatrical effect.

Animal-form tureens gained popularity in mid-18th century Europe, with examples in faience and soft-paste porcelain produced at Strasbourg, Palissy, Chelsea, and Höchst. The Chelsea auction of 1755 listed “a very curious tureen in the form of a boar’s head.” Chinese artisans responded to this demand with exquisite porcelain versions for the Western market.

Dutch East India Company records note an order of 25 boar’s head tureens in 1763, of which only 19 were shipped the following year before the line was deemed “too risky,” underscoring their rarity. 

Ref.: 
- Christie's New York, 26 January 2015, lot 143, for a near-identical example. (sold USD 52.500,00) (link)
- The Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA, accession number 1956-107-9a,b, for a closely related example. (link)

Provenace (by repute):
- A European private collection. 
- Acquired from Accorsi, Turin, Italy, ca. 1980.

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(UV-checked)
- Presenting very well, with fresh and vivid enamels.
- The cover with a section broken out and restuck, the break retouched. The restoration invisible to the naked eye but slightly showing up under UV-light. There is also a faint glaze line to the palate, visible on the exterior only, not protruding to the interior. To the tip of the nose, there are a few spots of superficial glaze loss.
- The tureen with a number of small superficial chips and spots of glaze loss to the tongue and teeth. One tooth reglued, with some retouching to the break. The tip of the other tooth also with some retouching. There is also a small chip to the low tip of one of the ears.

品相報告：（已用紫外線光檢查）
- 整體外觀非常良好，彩料鮮艷明亮。
- 蓋子有一處斷裂後粘合修復，並經補彩處理，該修復肉眼不可見，僅在紫外光下略有顯現。腭部有一道淡淡的驚釉線，只在外側可見，未延伸至內側。鼻尖處有幾處小剝釉。
- 湯鍋的舌頭與牙齒處有若干小飛皮與剝釉，其中一顆牙齒斷粘並補彩，另一顆牙齒的尖端亦見補彩，一隻耳朵的下端尖部還有一處小飛皮。

Adjudication frais incl.: € 33.800