Teacup
Dateca. 1795
OriginAsia, China
MediumHard-paste porcelain with black, blue, orange, purple, and gold
DimensionsOverall: 2 x 3 1/2in. (5.1 x 8.9cm)
Credit LineGift of Ms. Laura Boys
Object number2008-147,2
DescriptionPorcelain teacup decorated on the exterior with a figure of Hope, standing on a rocky ledge, leaning against an anchor, pointing to the sea, a small ship sailing in the distance flying two American flags. Above this scene is the phrase painted in gold "He is Gone." The cup is further decorated with a wavy blue border around the interior rim of the piece and another border in gold around the exterior rim.Label TextThis piece depicts the figure of Hope as a woman leaning on an anchor, with a ship in the distance. The imagery is most often associated with commerce during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The addition of the phrase "He is Gone" to the design links this image to either the "sailor's farewell" or perhaps is meant to be evocative of mourning the loss of a sailor whose ship was lost. It is very rare to have an inscription included in the design on Chinese export porcelain (unless it is a motto incorporated into an armorial).Inscription(s)"He is Gone" in scriptProvenanceLaura and Jack Boys, Newburyport, MassachusettsDavid Overall, Elizabethtown, Kentucky
ca. 1795
ca. 1795
1765-1775
1730-1770
1750-1775
ca. 1800
