Decorated in the Chinese Imari palette after Cornelis Pronk’s design commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, depicting a lady and attendant beneath a parasol beside waterbirds and reeds. The scene is framed by a gilt honeycomb border reserved with bird and figure cartouches. Both pieces are finely reticulated and applied with blue and gilt floral bosses, the basket fitted with gilt handles and the reverse of the stand painted with insects.

The ‘La Dame au Parasol’ pattern was the first of Pronk’s designs for the VOC and became one of the most successful. Its elaborate decoration and technically demanding forms made it exceptionally costly to produce, resulting in only a limited period of manufacture.

This pattern is believed to be derived from a watercolour by Pronk in 1734, now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (link)

Ref.:
- Christie's New York, 22 January 2002, lot 135, for an identical basket and stand (sold USD 30.500,00) (link), later with Jorge Welsh, 'Linglong', 2004, pp. 68-72.

Literature:
- C. Jörg, 'Pronk Porcelain, Porcelain after designs by Cornelis Pronk', Groningen, 1980.