Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
A charming set of hand-painted porcelain tea bowls and matching octagonal saucers featuring classic 'Willow' style river landscapes. These pieces represent the height of the global tea trade, where Chinese artisans adapted traditional motifs for Western dining tables.
Story
Eighteenth-century sailors risked everything to bring these fragile treasures across the ocean. Each landscape depicts a tranquil world of pagodas and bridges, a 'Cathay' that captivated the Western imagination for centuries.
Maker / Origin
Produced in the kiln city of Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of the world for over a millennium. While individual painters remain anonymous, they worked in a highly organized system where one artist might specialize solely in painting trees while another focused on the water.
Condition & Value
The pieces show some typical 'flea bites' or small chips on the rims, which is common for utilitarian export porcelain. One saucer appears to have a hairline fracture. These minor flaws are expected and generally reduce value by 20-30% compared to mint examples.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.