A pair of porcelain blue ewers made for the Islamic market, China, 18th century. Both 29cm high. Amir Mohtashemi Ltd at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

A rare pair of porcelain dark blue ewers of compacted pear-shaped form and flared feet. The mouths are crescent-moon shaped; the spouts are curved. Both ewers have traces of floral gilt decoration. 

Two similar ewers are in The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Accession Numbers 775-1888 and 1674-1876, and are published by Kerr and Mengoni, Chinese Export Ceramics, V&A Publishing, London, 2011, p. 111, pl. 158. According to Kerr, the shape of the ewers stems from Middle Eastern metalwork in combination with their crescent-shaped mouths and their dark blue glazes (Kerr, p. 110). A late 17th century bluish-white ewer made in Iran with a curved spout and crescent-moon mouth is in The British Museum, London, Accession Number OA739, and shows the same Middle Eastern form as these Chinese export ewers.

Ewer, Jingdezhen, China, 18th century. Porcelain with gold decoration on a blue ground. Diameter: 15.2 cm, Height: 28.9 cm. From the RICHARD collection, Iran. Victoria and Albert Museum, Inv. N° IS. 1674-1876. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016.

Ewer, Jingdezhen, China, 18th century. Porcelain with gold decoration on a blue ground. Diameter: 15.9 cm, Height: 29.2 cm. Acquired in Persia. From the RICHARD collection. Victoria and Albert Museum, Inv. N° IS. 775-1888. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016.

Ewer, Iran, Safavid dynasty, late 17th century, glossy opaque bluish-white glazed pottery. Height: 29 cm. Width: 22 cm. Depth: 16 cm. Bequeathed by John Henderson, OA+.739 © Trustees of the British Museum

Amir Mohtashemi Ltd. Indian and Islamic Works of Art, 69 Kensington Church Street, London W8 4BG, United Kingdom