Famille Verte Porcelain Inkwell from Samson

Small famille verte porcelain inkwell decorated with enameled flowerpots, foliage, and stylized rinceaux. The inkwell is set on a gilt bronze base that is decorated with palmette and bands embellished with interspaced latticework encircle the inkwell. The lids, which cover a glass receptacle for ink, are sculpted with foliage and are topped with a rose-shaped handle. The corners are pierced with four holes which serve as pen holders. Samson mark under the base. circa 1920 Dimensions: W 6.3 in, D 6.3in, H 3.5in. Dimensions: L 16 cm, D 16 cm, H 9 cm. The famille verte decor is part of the Chinese-styled production of the Samson factory. Ornamental pieces make up the larger part of the Samson collection, from the Qing era from the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722) and especially of Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1735-1795). The Samson production line catered to the European taste at the end of the 19th century for elaborately decorated pieces, as can be seen in the rich floral decoration of their trumpet vases, inkwells, plates, and basins. Around 1900, amateur collectors followed the advice of renowned collectors like Grandidier who, in his book La Céramique Chinoise (1894), extolled the artistic superiority of multicolored porcelain. Consequently, these amateurs sought out decorative pieces from the famille verte or the famille rose, set in bronze if possible. The enamel from these pieces is often well done, even if they are more crude and cluttered than Chinese enamels. Pieces from the famille verte are undoubtedly more common in Western collections. Florence Slitine, Samson, génie de l’imitation, Paris, Éditions Charles Massin, 2002, pp. 161-168.