Qianlong Era, circa 1750 allegorical subject, depicting "Old Age" centered on old crone by a spinning wheel. Painted in strong en grisaille enamels, with flesh tones and gilt highlights, depicting three elderly people sitting in the courtyard of a house, one woman is spinning wool while another is sleeping, while the man is petting a dog, next to them another man stands, holding a walking stick. On the right, a third man is being rejected while courting a young girl. The scene is after an engraving by N Larmessin III after a painting by N Lancret La Vieillesse. The image is from a set of four paintings by Lancret illustrating The Four Ages of Man, which are in the National Gallery, London. They were engraved by Larmessin III and also by others. The design has been simplified and figures moved around a bit, which is unusual, but the Lancret/Larmessin III designs were much copied by other printmakers and bits were used as details on other works. Another in the series (L'Adolescence) was simplified by George Bickham for a vignette on a musical score, and that version is found on a Chinese export teapot in the L’Orient Museum, not the more elaborate Larmessin III version. Bickham also used elements from this Old Age design in his musical scores. This scene depicted on Chinese export porcelain is heretofore unrecorded in the literature. saucer, 4 3/4 in. Diam., bowl, 3 in. Diam.

Saucer, few small rim frits, and tight hairline, cup tight hairline