Tea service with representation of St. Ignatius of Loyola
PLACE/DATE
China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong period (1736-1795), ca. 1750
MATERIALS
White porcelain decorated in grisaille and gold
DIMENSIONS
Taça de chá: 4 x Ø 7,5 cm (Ao. 43); pires: Ø 11,7 cm (Ao. 44) / Frasco de chá: 13 cm (Ao. 42) / Covilhete quadrangular: 13,5 x 13,5 cm (Ao. 45) / Covilhete retangular: 13 x 8,7 cm (Ao. 46) / Bule: 11,5 x 17 x 10,5 cm (Mb. 1476)
INV
Inv. Ao. 42 to 46; Ao. 1476
This rare set in porcelain from China, depicting St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Society of Jesus, consists of a teapot, tea flask, cup and saucer, and two covilhetes (small trays). Decorated in grisaille and gold, these pieces form a tea service, lacking the sugar bowl, which is included in other collections.
St. Ignatius is shown with his head surrounded by the traditional Chinese halo, moustache and slanting eyes; he blesses with his right hand and holds in his left hand an open book on an altar with the Jesuit motto "AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM" ("For the greater glory of God").
The iconographic source for this portrait is an engraving by Schelte A. Bolswert (1586-1659) from 1623, opened from a painting by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) from 1616.
