Lot 49
Rare Chinese Exports ca. 1790 Tea Pot, Two Cups/Saucers George Washington "GW" Monogram Shield Identical to Bowl at Mt. Vernon. Ch'ien Lung Chinese export ware c. 1790. Exceptionally rare, original antique lidded teapot, two cups and two saucers with the monogram of George Washington. Referenced thoroughly in Elinor Gordon's Collecting Chinese Export Pottery, Revised Edition from The Main Street Press, Pittstown, New Jersey, we quote "Unmistakably American is the mug (Goldberg auctions previously sold) which carries the simple monogram "GW" for George Washington. The decoration is armorial, but is not heavily weighted with heraldic elements. An ermine-lined blue mantle surrounds the shield. The border is a blue enamel wavy band with polychrome floral sprigs. She quotes a newspaper ad from the Providence Gazette of this export ware to be "Manufactured in the Best Manner, all sorts of China-Ware with Arms, Cyphers and other Decorations painted in a very superior style and on the most reasonable Terms, Jan 8, 1804".
Five pieces: Lidded teapot has a lovely and quite functional double branch entwined handle connecting to wall of pot in four places for extra stability. The lid is a fine fit with a berry finial. The teapot has a stress fissure that has been professionally stabilized that begins at lip, down the side across the base of pot and immediately stops. It never impacted the opposing side. We note a filler near top of lip otherwise the stress fissure has not divided the teapot in any way. With lid 6" x 9 x 6". Cup and Saucer. Cup with handle (2½ x 2½ x 2½") has one fleabite along the edge of lip and one glaze pop. The saucer has one tiny chip to top edge of lip that did not cause a crack otherwise fine condition (1¼ x 5¼ x 5¼") The teacup is gorgeous, has no issues, 2 x 3¼ x 3¼" and we note the addition of a delicate hand painted iris opposite the monogram in matching gilt gold and black. It's saucer a duplicate of the other also has a tiny chip causing no crack, virtually the same size and nearly the same position to monogram as the other saucer. Again these issues pale to the history they represent and present beautifully.
On 12/01/2012, Goldberg Auctions sold a single mug in this pattern for $5375.00 which was the very example used for study in Elinor Gordon's reference export pottery guide which was sold previously at Sotheby's in New York, Jan 23, 2010. March 21-23, 2020, Goldberg Auctions sold an exceptional lidded pot and saucer for $7200. Finally of note, Gordon's book mentions that a punch bowl in this pattern from 1795 is on permanent display at Mount Vernon which belonged to George Washington. It has the identical shields of the pieces previously sold as well as the four pieces offered here. These are and remain, quite rare.. Estimated Value $3,500 - UP
Reference: Elinor Gordon "Collecting Chinese Export Porcelain", Main Street Press, NY.
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