Cohen & Cohen

Tripod Coffee Pot and Cover - Price Upon Request

Tripod Coffee Pot and Cover
Qianlong period circa 1737-8 Dutch Market
Height: 12.75 inches; 32.5cm
An extremely rare porcelain tripod coffee pot and cover on three feet decorated in famille rose with the Dame au Parasol pattern after Cornelis Pronk, with European metal tap fitted near the base.
This is one of only three known examples of this form for this pattern, the Dame au Parasol by Dutch artist Cornelis Pronk. The shape follows similar late 17th century Japanese types known in blue and white and polychrome, made for the export market, with three feet and metal taps fitted in this way - as is also found in some Delft coffeepots of this period. Despite what is known from the records of the VOC orders for this pat- tern there appears to have been only one large service made in famille rose for this pattern, including a tea service. This coffee pot exhibits most elements of the design, though the painting of the figures suggests it might have been part of a separate private order. The floral designs on the feet and handle are not part of the surviving design by Pronk and this appears related to the rare fluted dish also in this catalogue.
References: Alves et al 1998, p276, No 94, another coffee pot like this but with different knop to cover (possibly restored); Jörg 1980, p68, No 24 another, lacking a cover.
The Pronk Workshop Enterprise

As well as the four designs known to be by Pronk (two for sure and two attributed) there are a number of other designs that have the distinctive style of known Pronk pieces which must have come from the same workshops. This strongly indicates that there was an active contributor either in Amsterdam or, more likely, in Batavia who was creating additional designs to broaden the range and who used the similar source material as Pronk, including Pronk’s own designs. The only drawings by Pronk (or contemporary copies of his drawings) are in the Rijksmuseum, showing the Dame au Parasol (A) and the three figures version of the Doctors' Visit (B2). Tantalisingly the sale of art and books from the estate of Pronk’s brother Aldert Pronk in 1772 lists six lots of folders of drawings of models for porcelain by Cornelis. This suggests he might have created more than four designs - or at least more variants.
An accurate list of possible 'Pronk' designs is difficult to assemble, but there are possibly as many as 20 attributable to the Pronk Workshop Enterpise as a whole, using comparisons of styles and certain distinctive elements, and the use of shared sources in Natural History prints.
Summary notes:
The Pronk Four:
A Dame au Parasol
known in famille rose (FR), Imari and blue and white on dinner, tea and coffee services
B1 Doctors' Visit four figures, known on all forms in- cluding cisterns and basins, bottle garnitures, in famille rose (FR) and blue and white, no Imari versions
B2 Doctors' Visit three figures - rare, tea services known.
C Archer - cisterns and basins only, FR and blue & white (basins with roses and moths after Marie Sybille Merian); two celadon-ground vases, shaped as small cis- terns, imari palette.
D The Arbour - dinner and tea services in FR and blue and white, no Imari versions. A Meissen teabowl with this pattern is in the New York Metropolitan Museum, No 64.101.165 from the Untermyer Collection, possibly Amsterdam decorated, which suggests that Pronk or the VOC may have had a European example made up as a trial.