A LARGE ENAMELED AND GILT ARMORIAL CHARGER FOR THE AMSTERDAM/BATAVIA DUTCH FAMILY VALCKENIER Qianlong period, circa 1750 Boldy enameled at the center in iron-red, blue, white, lavender, and black enamels and gilt with the arms of Valckenier beneath the crest of a standing displaying heraldic bird, the wide border gilt with three long flowering and blossoming sprays. 18in (45cm) diam Footnotes: 乾隆時期 約1750年 粉彩描金荷蘭阿姆斯特丹Batavia家族盾徽大盤 Published Cohen & Cohen, Baroque & Roll, Antwerp, 2015, pp. 134-135, no. 84 出版： 倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，《Baroque & Roll》，安特衛普，2015年，頁134-135，圖版編號84 The Amsterdam-based Dutch family Valckenier was prominent in the VOC ('Dutch East India Company') during the 17th and 18th century. The service was most probably commissioned in China for Adriaan Valckenier (1695-1751) who was resident in Batavia from 1715 and rose through the very hierarchical structure of the VOC to become bookkeeper, counsel, Director-general and ultimately Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1737-41). It is recorded that his career ended in great difficulties following his alleged involvement in the tragic massacre of some 10,000 Chinese in 1740, after which he set off for home on the ship Amsterdam, carrying at least 2,400 pieces of Chinese porcelain with his coat-of-arms. Valckenier had initially been acquitted of his involvement in the massacre, but on his way home he was arrested in Cape Town and brought back to Batavia, where he was imprisoned during an investigation that was still going on when he died in 1751. (fig. 1) Kroes lists 15 different designs, among which this one is published as no. 2C. By 1670 some of the family had already settled in the East Indies and their position in the VOC was influential, especially given their residence in Batavia. This residency gave them ready access to the 'China trade' as, before the long trip back to Europe, almost all Netherlands-bound merchant ships would almost certainly have refueled in the 'Batavia Roads', the deep-water anchorage offshore from the VOC headquarters in Java. This probably explains why there are at least fifteen different armorial services known with versions of the Valckenier arms. References: Phillips, 1956, p. 95, plate 22 for a dinner plate from this service in the Metropolitan Museum; Le Corbeiller, 1974, fig. 47, p. 87, a dinner plate from this service in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Helena Woolworth McCann Collection, and fig. 46, p. 87, the blue and white mug with silver mounts; Jörg, 1989, no. 101, p. 254, a famille rose teapot stand, and tea bowl and saucer in Brussels; Howard, 1994, no. 62, p. 79, a dinner plate from this service formerly in the Hodroff Collection; no. 61, a dinner plate from the service with the grisaille scenes; no. 247, p. 211, a jug and cover from this service and a charger decorated in underglaze blue with three sprays of flowers on the rim; Litzenberg, 2003, no. 84, p. 100, for a dinner plate from the service with grisaille panels now in the Reeves Collection; Kroes 2007, Cat. 36, p. 134, this service, and ibid., Appendix 1G, p. 646, for the author's list of all the Valckenier services; and Cohen & Cohen, 2003, no. 17, 35, a Valckenier charger 15in (38cm) diam.