Celadon sandstone conch mounted as an inkwell, Paris, Louis XV period

Extremely rare tripod brush basin in sandstone with a celadon coating which imitates a bivalve mollusk ending in a spiral.
It was embellished in the 18th century with a finely chiseled bronze frame gilded with mercury in order to transform it into an inkwell.
It is made up of two parts, a base and a cover.
The rockery base features acanthus clasps and foliage which frame the central plateau.
The latter simulates the wet sand in which the three feet of the shell sink.
The flap lid has a cockscomb border with a finely openwork central part with plant decoration.
Once opened, it reveals a plate simulating the valve of the mollusk, and in the middle a compartment containing a small blown glass cup serving as an inkwell.

Very good state of conservation, high quality of carving and gilding.

Celadon-enameled stoneware brush wash, China, Longquan kiln, Ming Dynasty, 17th century.

The border restored with gold lacquer using the ancestral Japanese technique of “Kintsugi”.*

The mount, Paris Louis XV period around 1750-1760.

Item marketed in France by a Parisian haberdashery merchant in the first part of the 18th century and probably imported from Japan by the Dutch India Company.

Dimensions:

Height: 11cm; Width: 12cm; Depth: 10 cm

Parts of similar shape:

Two turquoise enameled biscuit boxes dating from the Kangxi period (1661-1722), Artcurial Paris sale on December 6, 2022.

Our opinion :

This type of ceramic simulating a conch-type mollusk is very rare on the market.
The restoration with gold, using the Kintsugi technique, proves to us that our piece passed through Japan from where it was probably imported by the Dutch India Company which alone had the authorization to market with the country of the rising sun. .
Continuing the Portuguese trade, the Dutch bought numerous porcelains at high prices, often locally produced, from the Arita kilns but also rarer pieces, from China and collected by the Japanese elite.
Porcelain was still unknown in Europe at this period and it would experience significant growth.
Pieces with blue decoration will be imported massively but a category of the greatest rarity, featuring a celadon glaze which imitates jade, will be the subject of strong demand from the elite of the nobility.
Bought at a high price by haberdashery merchants, they were then diverted from their utilitarian function and mounted on bronze, like works of art.
Some dealers like Lazare Duvaux will specialize in this activity and enhance these pieces with frames inspired by the plant kingdom.


*The term Kintsugi comes from the combination of the word “Kin” (gold) and “Tsugi” (joint) and therefore means “joint with gold”.
It is an ancestral Japanese ceramic restoration technique, developed in the 15th century.
It consists of filling the flaws and gaps in broken ceramic with a lacquer composed of gold.
The process is long and involves several stages of filling, drying and polishing, but in the end it ensures perfect solidity to the restored piece.
This very expensive technique was reserved for the most important pieces.
Its rarity was such that pieces restored using this technique were collected and highly sought after, to the point of being worth more than pieces in perfect condition.