FROM THE ROBERT H. BLUMENFIELD COLLECTION OF ARMORIAL MUGS
A BELL SHAPED ANTI-GALLICAN SOCIETY MUG, CIRCA 1750. The large coat-of-arms St. George, representing Britain, tramples a shield with the fleur-de-lys of France, the motto FOR OUR COUNTRY below and Britannia seated above, all beneath a wide scroll and shell border.
The Anti-Gallican Society was formed in 1745 in London to promote British and discourage French "modes and manufactures", and had many distinguished members. D.S Howard (op. cit., Vol II, p. 249) illustrates a bowl with this version of the Society's arms Chinese figure scenes on the sides, calling it "...one of the finest examples...".
Previously Sold Christies, New York, January 2007.
HEIGHT: 6 3/8 inches (approximately)
CONDITION: The mug is in VERY GOOD condition. Minor surface wear from age. Mild firing imperfections. The handle has been broken in two pieces and restuck. The arms and border are in lovely condition with a very light rubbing only.
This listing is for one mug only, shown in main photo. The last photograph shows this mug in collection with other mugs to be sold from the Robert H. Blumenfield collection, some of which are also listed on Ebay.
THE ROBERT H. BLUMENFIELD COLLECTION OF ARMORIAL MUGSThose who know Robert Blumenfield as a particularly discerning and knowledgeable collector of esoteric Chinese arts for the scholar's table, or from his important monograph Blanc de Chine, The Great Porcelain of Dehua (Ten Speeds Press, Berkeley, 2002), may be surprised to learn that he has also formed a notable collection of Chinese mugs with British coats-of-arms. Thirty-two years ago, when Blumenfield first began haunting the tops shops and salerooms of London, these showpieces of East-West interaction intrigued him, and, guided by the great dealer David Howard, he slowly built a collection of carefully selected examples. They display the arms handsomely; their three-dimensional forms, taken from European ceramics and metalwork, add interest.