A fine pair of Chelsea cabinet beakers, circa 1765


Of large size with everted rims and neatly turned feet, gilded onto the mazarine blue grounds with pairs of Chinese musicians making music in fanciful garden landscapes including elaborate fences, flower arbours and birds in flight, the gilding enhanced with the finest quality tooling, 8.8cm high (2)
|ProvenanceA C J Wall CollectionA closely related beaker in the British Museum is illustrated by Elizabeth Adams, Chelsea Porcelain (2001), p.149, fig.11.11 and shares the same high quality gilding and chinoiserie musical subjects. Large handleless beakers were an innovation in the gold anchor period, characterized by the use of coloured grounds and chiselled gold. These may have been the variety of 'cabinet cup' mentioned in the catalogue of 1761. Another example with the more usual bird decoration is illustrated by F Severne Mackenna, The Gold Anchor Wares, pl.17, fig.31