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I bought this blue & white porcelain open salt dish in an antiques store last week for $125 after convincing myself that it might be 18th century Chinese. After returning home and getting down to some serious research, I'm wondering if I might be wrong. Looking down at the top of it, the floral pattern looks like it might suit the Kangxi period or later. However, I'm having a more difficult time matching the cabriole legs and floral treatment underneath. Been all through liveauctioneers.com and even the Christies archive to no avail. Have even looked at Meissen and some other Continental porcelains to see if this might be a special order to complement a European service. Lots of hexagonal Chinese and other salts out there, but no exact match of the pattern or form of this one so far. The writing in black on the base also is a mystery to me, though it looks like Chinese (or Japanese) depending on the angle.

I'm open to suggestion.

Link is as follows if the other one doesn't work:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!ApQyvqC1qsbxjnJKSAli3EfQ_DBZ

Thanks,

Bill H.

Link :BW Salt

To me this looks new, but I am no ceramics expert. What strikes me though is that a fellow named Anders Stahl bought an identically shaped salt dish (without the elevated legs and base) that had what appeared to be a mark on it indicating that it belonged to Duanfang with a title that would have dated it to around 1903. He posted photos on Facebook and on Gotheborg. Subsequent comment on Gotheborg suggested that although the dish looked convincing as Guangxu, Duanfang did not use the mark on the base of Anders's dish. If that is true, it may imply that the shape existed during the Guangxu era (but maybe not earlier?), or that fakers have now hit on a salt cellar shape that they are now making hay with.

The only salts I've ever seen with an even close shape turned out to be Russian. I would like to see if anyone has had a similar sighting.

Maybe we are having a hard time finding a similar salt shape because it has another use, like a pastille burner?

I notice the last photo showing the unglazed base that there is a mould seem running diagonally that suggests the piece is composed of two halves joined vertically. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is general practice for Chinese vessels to be joined horizontally, top with bottom.

I'm much obliged to everyone for their responses. Some comments remind that the Chinese started using new European style porcelain molding machines at Jingdezhen during the late 19th-early 20th century, which technology began replacing the old low-beveled foot with countersunk center with a higher rim. Also, the French and Brits, who controlled inland transport in China around the same time, brought large quantities of Haviland and other European porcelain blanks to China for painting at the Canton workshops. See image below for an example.

It may be that this salt, or whatever other purpose for which it may have been used, came to China from Europe as a blank for decoration, or was molded in China using newly acquired technology. I think at this point that the answer, if one exists, probably lies in finding a match to the form. So back to the books for me it seems.

Thanks guys,

Bill H.

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