Republic Period, American Sesquicentennial, 1926 cup and saucer: decorated in Famille Rose enamels and gold. Saucer with thirteen stars and floral sprays interspersed on the outer rim, flower chain and sprays bordering a continuous scene of thirteen male figures, seated or standing at three tables with a spread- winged eagle bearing a striped shield, a banner in its beak, laurel in one talon and arrows in the other, the date 1776 beneath its tail feathers; cup decorated similarly but lacking border. The central scene probably copies an 1823 engraving by Asher B. Durand (1796-1886) after the c. 1787-1820 painting, The Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull (1756-1843). Another closely related engraving after Trumbull was published c. 1835-1856 by Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888). The prominently featured "American Eagle" does not appear in either the Trumbull painting or the two engravings, which display instead the "trophies of war." A spread winged eagle is found however, on a c. 1840-1845 painting of this scene by Edward Hicks (1780-1849). Moreover, a similar "American eagle" design is known on export porcelain dating to the first decade of the nineteenth century. Whatever the original source for the eagle, it was the confused invention of the Chinese artist that gave rise to the inscription on the banner. "The Declaration of Independence'" found on the saucer. saucer - 6 in. Diameter, cup, 3 in. Diameter. For further reading see, Ronald Fuchs II, " Deciphering the Declaration of Independence on Chinese Export Porcelain" in the Ceramics Journal 15, 2009. For further examples and reading, Forbes 1982, no. 114, Gordon 1977, fig.145, Howard and Ayers 1978, vol. II, nos. 530-530A, Mudge 1981, figs.136, 138, 1986, fig. 379 and Palmer 1976, fig. 100.

Very good conditional