A pair of export blue and white soft-paste porcelain mythological-subject serving dishes, Qianlong, c.1750-70. Photo Bonhams.
Painted after a drawing by Frederick Bloemaert, depicting Neptune holding a trident and riding on dolphins, amongst tritons and nymphs, the wells decorated with leafy peony and chrysanthemum branches within cell pattern borders, the flattened rims with foaming waves, the exteriors with moulded shell motif feet, bordering further flowering stems. 31.2cm (12.1/4in) wide. Estimate£4,000 - 5,000 (€4,900 - 6,100)
The original source for this design was identified by Le Corbeiller as an etching called 'The Realm of Neptune' by Frederick Bloemaert (c.1610-c.1669), after a drawing by his father Abraham Bloemaert. This is a Baroque design executed in blue and white on both fine grained and soft paste porcelain.
For a dish of this design see 'Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam', Christiaan J.A Jorg, p.277, pl.321. The author states that the depiction of Neptune occurs in several varieties of 'Chine de commande' from c.1740 onwards.