Cutlery Box

China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (c. 1700-1720) Porcelain decorated with cobalt blue enamel under the glaze and red, green and gold enamel over the glaze Inv. 497 This cutlery box forms a pair with another piece held in a private collection, both rarities of their kind, being the only known examples made of Chinese porcelain. Rectangular in shape, with a sloping lid, the inside is divided into small compartments in which to place cutlery. Decorated with peonies, chrysanthemums and friezes of foliage in the typical palette of Chinese imari (cobalt blue, iron red and gold), it also displays some green enamels, which are less common. In the centre, there is a striking coat of arms, previously linked to Francisco José de Sampaio e Mello e Castro, 66th Governor and 40th Viceroy of India (1720 to 1723), which has since been linked to the Mello Sampaios, one of the most powerful families in Baçaim (old Portuguese India). It is thought to have been commissioned by the Captain Generals and Governors of Macao, Luís or his son Diogo de Mello Sampaio, forming part of a sumptuous table service, from which the Portuguese Museum of Decorative Arts still has a couple of shakers.