A rare and large Chinese porcelain circular basin, 18th century, painted in underglaze blue to the central reserve with a scene from Roman mythology depicting Neptune holding a trident and riding dolphins with a group of Nereids and Tritons, inside a honeycomb diaper border, unglazed base, 42cm diameterNotes: The scene illustrates an episode told by Virgil in the Aeneid (book I, lines 124-143), in which Neptune calms the waves after Juno, the chief Goddess, unleashes a ferocious storm to combat the retreating Trojan army. This scene is taken from from a print made by Dutch artist Frederick Bloemart (1610-1669), who used the left half of a composition from a copy book by Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651), which is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Le Corbeiller, 1974, no. 28).Mythological scenes such as the one depicted here were popular with buyers of Chinese export porcelain from the mid-18th century onwards. In 1778, the Dutch East India Company sent a chocolate cup with this particular design to Canton to be copied onto dishes, although later the order was cancelled due to the high cost of Chinese porcelain bearing European decorations, much to the chagrin of Dutch merchants.Similar examples can be seen in major collections, such as a plate in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Le Corbeiller, 1974, no. 28), a cup and saucer at the Victoria and Albert Museum (C.39&A-1909, The Curtain Foundation Gallery) and at the British Museum (Krahl, Regina; Harrison-Hall, Jessica, Ancient Chinese Trade Ceramics from the British Museum, Taipei, 1994).Provenance: Sotheby's London, Fine Chinese Export Porcelain, The Hervouet Collection, 3rd November 1987, Lot 337With Emery & Cie paper label to base

There is a small repair to a section of the rim. Some nibbles to rim, and surface wear to the glaze.