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Blue & white Chinese export service: sauce boats
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Blue & white Chinese export service: sauce boats
c.1790
Hard-paste porcelain
Museum number: X503
Not on display
Curatorial note
This piece is from a large and very fine blue and white Chinese (Nankin) Export dinner service which Soane bought for use at Lincoln's Inn Fields (in 1790 he was living at No. 12 and it would be another decade before he acquired a country house at Ealing).
When Soane bought this service (see provenance below) it consisted of 328 pieces including tureen stands and lids.By 1899 the service consisted of 309 pieces but in 1966 only 240 were listed (including lids). This reflects the fact that the service was used by by the Curators of the Museum from the time of Soane’s death in 1837 until the purchase of a ‘Curator’s’ dinner service from Spode in 1911.
At present the images accompanying the entries for this service (Museum numbers SM X481-X708) show just a selection of pieces from this service and not necessarily particular item described.
When Soane bought this service (see provenance below) it consisted of 328 pieces including tureen stands and lids.By 1899 the service consisted of 309 pieces but in 1966 only 240 were listed (including lids). This reflects the fact that the service was used by by the Curators of the Museum from the time of Soane’s death in 1837 until the purchase of a ‘Curator’s’ dinner service from Spode in 1911.
At present the images accompanying the entries for this service (Museum numbers SM X481-X708) show just a selection of pieces from this service and not necessarily particular item described.
Provenance
Purchased by John Soane for £46.4.0 at the Ealing Grove sale, 2 October 1815, auctioneers Robins: Lot 49 A dinner service of the rare blue and white gilt Nankin China, consisting of four soup tureens, covers and stands, six sauce ditto, covers & stands, two salad bowls, six vegetable dishes and covers, six sauce boats, 41 dishes in sizes, 12 water plates, 107 dinner ditto, 70 soup ditto and 48 pye ditto.
Soane collections online is being continually updated. If you wish to find out more or if you have any further information about this object please contact us: worksofart@soane.org.uk