Model of a Dutch Ship
China
Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period (1723-1735), ca. 1730-1735
Porcelain decorated in overglaze enamels of the famille rose palette
Height: 32 cm; length: 26.5 cm; width: 13 cm

The present famille rose model of a ship appears to be a unique example of its type. The high quality of potting, as well as its interesting mixture of eastern and western elements, makes this ship model a fascinating object which gives testimony to the artistic crosscurrents that occurred during the early Qing dynasty.

A two-masted model of a Chinese junk painted in the famille verte palette was listed in the 1779 inventory of Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Luthuania (1670-1733).

Originally, porcelain ship models may have been copied from European examples on wheels that were made of precious metals from as early as the end of the 16th century. These are believed to have been used at formal banquets as receptacles for salt or expensive spices.