Milk jug

The milk jug is complete and oval in shape. It has a slightly bulging wall, a rounded shoulder and a slightly flared neck, topped by a rim that is lower at the back than at the front, with a straight top. The rim has an oval-shaped spout at the front, in line with the rim. The wall is narrowed at the base, and the pot rests on a rounded pedestal with a wide, flat base. The base is recessed and flat. The jar is fitted with a vertical handle of shallow oval shape, with a concave horizontal top and a rectangular protrusion at its apex. Its upper end is folded down and corrugated; it joins the top of the rim, while its elongated lower end rests on the wall and ends in an oval. The cross-section is oval. The decoration is molded, painted over glaze and applied by underglaze printing (Transfer printed); the painted decoration is gold and the printed decoration is blue with an oriental motif (Two Temples). Moulded decoration is visible on the outer wall and shoulder: it consists of small vertical flutes. The shoulder also features a recessed horizontal band. Printed decoration is visible under the inner and outer rims, and on the outer wall. The decoration under the inner and outer rims is identical: it consists of a complex frieze made up of five different motifs, some of which are repeated in alternation. Beneath the rim is a braid made of a row of small pearls in reserve, with a core. This is followed by a band composed of two alternating motifs, separated by a solid band in dark blue adorned with a half-flower and two scrolls in reserve; it is bordered at its base by a latticework with central crosses and itself bordered by a scroll. One of the main motifs is a latticework with central crosses; it is bordered by an acanthus leaf and features a central Chinese motif, the full Ju-i with a small core in reserve. This lattice supports two mirrored Greciques, bordered by a scroll of pearls and a cluster of pearls. The other design features a hexagonal rhombus background with a core bordered by a volute in dark blue, cut at the edge into two half-flowers to accommodate a butterfly with outstretched wings. The butterfly is encircled by two areas with a fish-scale motif and closed by scrolls. The decoration on the outer wall consists of an oriental scene of islands, two of which are linked by a bridge spanning a river. On one of the islands are two tiered temples with dark blue roofs, each with an entrance and staircase; in one stands a figure, probably. These temples are surrounded by trees, and tiered rocks lie on the shore. At the rear of the temples is a wall with three sections intersecting at right angles; one section has three closed square windows, while the other has a long, closed rectangular window. The island borders a river to the left, spanned by a single-arched stone bridge, seen in profile, on which two bald figures stand facing each other. Behind the bridge, the temple island is enclosed by a fence with six angled compartments and a post; the compartments are decorated with a central rectangle. The bridge leads to another island lined with rocks and trees, including a willow tree. In the foreground, a fence crosses the river; it features aligned compartments decorated with double swastika. The rest of the wall is occupied by an island with pavilions, a tiered pagoda, trees and rocks. There is a single-arched bridge on this island. The decoration printed on the cove is a double vertical row of leaves divided into mirrors. The rendering is blurred. The junction of the frieze under the inner rim is barely visible. The decoration on the wall is a montage: the junction is obvious. The printed decoration on the handle is covered with gilding in the form of stylized elongated leaves. There is gilding on the rim and on the outer shoulder, consisting of a wide band followed by a line, which supports a row of alternating leafy and non-leafy plant stems, as well as a gilding fillet above the outer pedestal.