Chinese porcelain famille rose tobacco leaf pattern fishtank

Qianlong period
European Market


A Chinese export porcelain fishtank decorated with a variant of the tobacco leaf pattern in famille rose enamels, with lion mask handles and the rim brightly decorated with flowers, the interior with carp, lotus and pondweed.

This variant of the tobacco leaf pattern is rare being known on a pair of vases in the Swedish Royal collection and three large jardinières. The pattern is unusual in having no underglaze blue in the design and pastel shades used throughout.

References: Wirgin 1998, p107, one vase illustrated from the pair in the Swedish Royal collection; Cohen & Cohen 1999, p23, a single jardinière; Debomy 2013, p133, a fish tank with this design which he classifies as A9.2 pattern; Cohen & Cohen 2014B, No 28, a pair of jardinières in this pattern.