Two Chinese porcelain armorial bells, Yongzheng (1723-35), c - Lot 91

Two Chinese porcelain armorial bells, Yongzheng (1723-35), circa 1724. Decorated in green and pink family enamels with a crest and bouquets of flowers, fruit and attributes between two wide friezes of arabesques and flowering trellises, the interiors decorated in the center with a rosette in a medallion formed by a frieze of ironwork and wide flowering branches; minor wear and enamel cracks. D: 31.5 - 28.5 cm Provenance: Service of Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot of Hensol. Charles Talbot (1685-1737), British lawyer and politician, elected Lord Chancellor of Great Britain in 1733, was the son of William Talbot, Bishop of Durham. This form of bell, usually made in Europe in silver for tableware, is known from Chinese porcelain in three sizes (the 31.5 cm diameter being the largest). These cloches were used to keep food warm on their plates. This service is illustrated by David Howard, Chinese Armorial Porcelain, 1974, Vol.I, p.200.