A Chinese export porcelain famille rose tankard with cylindrical body and splayed foot, the handle in the form of a dragon’s body with spine nodules protruding, painted in coloured enamels with iron red and gilt with an open-mouthed cockerel standing on blue enamel rockwork in a continuous scene with a hound, a Buddhist lion, an open-winged bird standing on one foot on rockwork, two bats, a butterfly flying above, all beside flowering peony and yellow daisies, below borders of lotus in blue and white enamel, a further border in iron-red of lotus and daises and gilt band above crenulated pendant floral borders.
Overall height with cover, 19.7cm 7 3/4 inches.
Maximum depth including handle 5 ½ inches, 14 cm.
Diameter of mouth 3 ½ inches, 9 cm.
Qianlong, circa 1760.
The cover in white metal, probably pewter, inset with a Russian Medal, dated 1743.
Condition: perfect.
*Formerly in the collection of Villa Dagliè, Turin.
