Featured Antique Porcelain Lidded Pot, Ibis? Continental?

This is an unusual little lidded pot with a pink painting on the lid. I think it is a scene of an ibis with palm trees in the background, which makes me think of the first fashion for Egyptian art after Napoleon's invasion of Egypt circa 1800. I think the pot might have held some kind of ointment, although the lid fits very loosely. I would love to learn more about it, if only where it was made. It is about 3 inches in diameter and 1.2 inches in height with the lid. The upper edge of the pot and the lower edge of the lid are both unglazed, which presumably was to make them more secure but looks rather primitive compared to the painting. It is just a feeling of mine that it isn't English, but possibly French? Someone on another forum has mentioned Bohemia as a possibility. What do you think?

 

I don't know why but when I first saw it I thought French or Chinese - which is pretty random. It is something I would have scooped up. Charming piece!

 

Very nice, Valerie, but it doesn't look like an ibis to me, with that straight beak.

 

That's what I felt myself! I favour French because I feel that the Egyptian-looking motif would be better related to France than China, even though the style looks Chinese.

 

I think you are right, the Ibis beak is curved downwards, which would have been easy to paint. Of course the painter might have been as ignorant as myself and overlooked that detail! I wonder if it could be a crane, or if I should abandon my Egyptian idea altogether. Maybe the early pictures available in Europe circa 1800 of Egyptian hieroglyphs did not make the beak clear. Any more ideas welcome as to the scene!

 

Just found this one, looks like the same bird.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-o...s-ink-on-limestone-new-kingdom-133027230.html

 

They would have known herons as well, maybe that is the one in the drawing as well as 'your bird'.
Mind you, that isn't proof of Egyptian inspiration for your lovely box, we have herons in western Europe as well.

 

What does the bottom look like? I don't think I see a photo.

Another search word to try is puce for the color.

 

Heron looks a strong possibility. It's just a feeling that the inspiration is Egyptian, it certainly doesn't look like the usual European "exotic bird" scene, the background trees look to me like palms. Of course it might be just wishful thinking on my part!

 

Sorry for the omission, will try to take a photo tomorrow. My memory is that it is much less crude than the unglazed areas of upper edges. Those raw-looking surfaces are quite unlike anything I've seen before on any porcelain, so I'm hoping they will provide a clue. I will have a search for puce decoration, and see if I can find anything like this.

 

do I see kilngrit on the foot rim or is it just dirty? looks chinese or japanese to mine eye. perhaps a storke or a crane bird. and maybe repainted ...

 

My memory failed me, as usual, the base has a wide, unglazed rim on the base.

 

I've just posted a photo of the base, surprisingly dirty. If the pot looks oriental maybe it was exported white and painted in Europe?