Chinese famille rose porcelain tankard or mug, mid-18th century. A large cartouche depicts a scene of a harbor with figures standing near a waterside with domed hills in the background. Intricately painted floral and foliate motifs throughout in pink, green, and gold interspersed with four cartouches depicting birds perched on branches. With an applied dragon-form loop handle.

Provenance: From the Estate of C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan, Long Lake, Minnesota.

C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan (1926-2022) was a passionate world traveler and avid collector. It was through his travels that he was inspired to begin a lifelong relationship with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), becoming a major sponsor of the institute and facilitating the growth of their Asian art department, which is now one of the best in the country. His generous donations to Mia allowed them to establish a fund for the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, one of the few endowed positions of this type in the museum field. He additionally served as a trustee of the institute, advocating for its operational growth. In its turn, the museum established a gallery named in his honor in recognition for his endowment fund and numerous contributions to their collection. The selections here showcase his talent and breadth of collecting, ranging from ancient statues to 19th-century woodblock prints. His appreciation for art persisted throughout his life and we are honored to offer items from his collection in this auction.
Height: 6 in x diameter: 4 3/4 in. No visible chips. No major cracks or losses. No visible sign of restoration under UV light. Light wear throughout. Color glazing faded throughout. No visible chips to the rim and footrim. Original firing flaws throughout. Along the rim, there is a minute area where the surface is not smooth; however, it appears to be original. Along the areas where the dragon handle and the tankard's body meet, there is a minute crack near the head and near the foot. However, the dragon is firmly attached. The tongue of the dragon has a loss. Along the underside, the center is slightly recessed inward, which does not appear to be damaged but original. Along the underside, the area is lightly discolored and has unidentified accretions; please see the listing image.