Nightlight holder
Category
Ceramics
Date
1662 - 1722
Materials
biscuit porcelain
Measurements
110 mm (H)150 mm (W)100 mm (D)
Order this imageCollection
Polesden Lacey, Surrey
NT 1245630
Summary
A Kangxi nightlight holder in the form of a cat, enamelled in green over black on the biscuit. Pere d'Entrecolles writing from the Chinese porcelain town of Jingdezhen in 1712 describes a similar cat. Pere d’Entrecolles, a French Jesuit priest, sent the first detailed account of the manufacture of Chinese porcelain to the West in his letters of 1712 and 1722. This was a time of great importation of Chinese porcelain and experimentation with porcelain production by the West. These letters formed a vital information source and were used by European potters including Josiah Wedgwood.
Provenance
Pere d'Antrecalles writing from Ching-te-chen (Jingdezhen) in 1712 describes a similar cat. The bequest of Margaret (Anderson) McEwan, The Hon. Mrs Ronald - later Dame Margaret - Henry Fulke Greville, DBE (1863-1942) from probate records linked with the donation of the property to the National Trust in 1943. This item found on the record for Polesden Lacey Chinese porcelain stored in the Basement, page 87.