This is a magnificent soup tureen with stand and it is pictured only in Herbert Schiffer's 1975 book on page 222. The book's pictures show a sculptured, bulbous sided tureen with very unusual shell handles not seen on any other Canton form. The top with its loop knob has a wavy rim that fits into an inset wavy rim on the tureen. Also, very unusual is that the top has a ladle hole for a ladle to sit in. The top's rain cloud border goes up and around the ladle hole.
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These are two rare Soup Tureens. They are very attractive and they are oval or oblong in shape. The tureens are distinguished by their twisted handles and mushroom knobs (sometimes called "Passion Flower" knobs). The tops have a stepped up shape, are decorated with 4 leaves radiating outward from the knobs and have the rain cloud borders. The insides are not decorated. The Canton scene is on the tops and on both sides. The bottoms are glazed.
These are fairly common to scarce soup tureens with their customary stands. They are octagonal in shape. The tureens are distinguished by their Boar's head handles and feather knobs (sometimes called "helmet" knobs). The tops and stands have the rain cloud border, the bottoms do not. Each have the Canton scene, the bottoms have two. The insides are not decorated. The bottoms are glazed.
A very unusual and late manufactured tureen. This tureen is marked in large letters: "CHINA". Accordingly, it was made after 1890. It was not made to have a cover. Without a cover it is not very efficient in keeping soup warm. On the inside is the rain cloud border and the typical Canton scene in the bottom. Also, on the outside the Canton scene is on both sides. The most remarkable feature is its pair of handles. They are unlike any handles we have seen on Canton.
This is a rare gravy tureen. It is oval or oblong in shape and is a mirror image of its much larger brother the Oval Soup Tureen. The tureen is distinguished by its twisted handles and mushroom knob (sometimes called "Passion Flower" knobs). The top has a stepped up shape, is decorated with 4 leaves radiating outward from the knobs and has the rain cloud border. The insides are not decorated. The Canton scene is on the top and on both sides. The bottom is glazed. This example has "CHINA" on the bottom which indicates it was made after 1890. This gravy tureen is not illustrated in the books but the larger soup tureens are illustrated on page 219 of Herbert Schiffer's 1975 book and in Jane Wilson's 1977 booklet on page 45.
These Gravy Tureens are fairly common. They are octagonal in shape and are a mirror image of their much larger brothers the octagonal Soup Tureens. The tureens are distinguished by their Boar's head handles and feather or helmet knobs. The tops have the Canton scene and the rain cloud border as do the stands. The bottoms do not have the rain cloud borders. The smaller tureen on the right has a Chinese symbol (?) on the glazed bottom. It is also more oval in shape.