Batavian cup with rose dragon

[haukech]

Dear All,
I am thinking of 18c but not sure as i had not yet adquired batavian with other type of enamels than blue/white decoration.
Thanks for your comments.

[peterp]

The underside looks indeed like 18th century, but the colors and proportion of the interior decoration seem wrong.  Also, the claws of an 18th or early 19th century dragon should look different. The claws of this one looks like a late Qing (Guangxu) or later dragon. I'm afraid what you have might be an old item decorated or re-decorated on the inside at a much later time. The colors also do not look right for the 18th century, although the bottom and exterior look right for that.

[haukech]

My first Guanxu piece then! Thanks Peterp. About the claws, could you elaborate a bit further?

[peterp]

Please do not misunderstand. I did not mean it is Guangxu; the body is more likely 18th century, but the painting may have been added or modified in the Guangxu reign or later. That is/was done sometimes if there was little interior decoration, or if it was largely gone due to abrasion during use, etc. It may have over-painted or repainted an earlier decoration.
I have also not seen Batavia ware from the late Qing dynasty. Not sure if it still was made at all then.  Batavia was important to the VOC, it seems, but export may have ceased after the VOC went bankrupt.

Regarding the dragon's claws, about Guangxu and later they point forward, as those of a bird would. But if you look at earlier ones the claws are often attached at an almost right angle to the toes.

[haukech]

Got it, thanks!