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Chinese ‘Clobbered’ Porcelain Decorated in Europe


Clobbered porcelain or porcelain with later polychrome overglaze decoration done in Europe is a fascinating sub-category of antique Chinese export porcelain. What started as a simple addition of gilt borders, spouts or handles later evolved into more elaborate patterns such as Dutch decorated ‘Amsterdam bont’ porcelain imitating Imari palette, and even more colourful English pieces – with bright green, yellow or purple enamels – produced in the early 19th century. Reason for over-decorating plain blue and white porcelain with these colourful enamels was to make them more desirable and often also to conceal small imperfections or damage. Opinions of collectors on clobber ware are greatly divided as European decoration is often ‘heavy-handed’ and lacks the elegance of original Chinese patterns. We think that this group should not be overlooked because it is an important part of our material culture and pieces themselves are very often completely unique one-of-a-kind examples, making them highly collectable.

Below is a selection of some of the great pieces of Chinese clobber ware that we’ve handled in the past.

Early 18th century Chinese ‘Amsterdams Bont’ clobbered Kangxi an hua porcelain dish – this type of Chinese porcelain decorated in the Netherlands was a response to great popularity of Imari porcelain during the 18th century. Simple blue and white porcelain could have been bought for low prices, decorated with overglaze enamels similar to those of imari porcelain and then sold for a much higher price. Decoration sometimes featured scenes with European figures and architecture.
Rare early 18th century Chinese Kangxi period export porcelain dish, decorated shortly after in Holland in the manner of Japanese Kakiemon porcelain. Pattern depicts a pair of figures in the garden, listening to a singing nightingale perched on top of a bird cage.

For reference see collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, object 1995.268.140
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blanc de Chine Porcelain Dignitary Figure. 17th century
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blanc de Chine Porcelain Dignitary Figure. 17th-18th century. Similar, undecorated example is recorded in the 1688 Burghley House collection inventory.
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blanc De Chine Buddhist Lion Joss Stick Holder. Dehua, Kangxi Period (1662-1722)
Antique Chinese clobbered Blanc de Chine Buddhist lion joss stick holder, Kangxi Period (1662-1722) – overglaze decoration was in this case used to conceal damage (missing parts of the joss stick holder and tail of the lion).
Antique Chinese Kangxi Period Clobbered Blanc de Chine Dehua Porcelain Foo Lion
Another late 17th or early 18th century Blanc de Chine joss stick holder in the form of a Buddhist lion with a different type of clobbered overglaze decoration.
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blue and White Export Porcelain Dish With Dragons and Floral Sprays
Antique Chinese clobbered blue and white export porcelain dish with dragons and floral sprays – this type of dragons with white faces is generally thought to indicate pieces decorated in London.
Large Clobbered Chinese Export Porcelain Punch Bowl Decorated With Dragons and Butterflies. Diameter 31 cm
Large clobberware Chinese export porcelain punch bowl decorated with dragons and butterflies, diameter 31 cm – another characteristic of pieces decorated in England is bright lime green enamel used for backgrounds and borders.
Large Clobbered Chinese Export Porcelain Punch Bowl Decorated With Dragons and Butterflies. Diameter 31 cm
Fully clobbered interior of the bowl above
Antique Chinese Qianlong Period Clobbered Export Porcelain Dish With Dragons and Butterflies. 18th century
Clobbered Chinese Qianlong period Fitzhugh type export porcelain dish, 18th century – this one is interesting as it features different type of dragons reminiscent of those found of works by Miles and C. J. Mason.
Clobbered Antique Chinese Blue and White Long Eliza Vase With Kangxi Conch Shell Mark
Clobbered 18th century blue and white ‘Long Eliza’ vase with Kangxi conch shell mark – this vase had some damage at the top and was cut down. Clobbering was then used to conceal this alteration and to further embellish it in order to make it more saleable.
Clobbered Antique Chinese Kangxi Period Long Eliza Blue and White Porcelain Vase
Another Kangxi period blue and white porcelain vase with later European overglaze decoration. Painted with moulded lappets enclosing ‘Long Elizas’ and floral jardinieres on stands. Marked with underglaze blue ‘Yu’ mark with later iron red pseudo-Chinese mark painted over it (below).
Clobbered Antique Chinese Kangxi Period Long Eliza Blue and White Porcelain Vase
Many pieces of Chinese porcelain were clobbered in order to conceal small glaze imperfections or damage. Notice prominent fritting on this 18th century export dish.
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blue and White Export Porcelain Plate. 18th-19th century
Unusual Chinese blue and white export porcelain dish with later European polychrome decoration featuring a profusion of floral sprays framed by a simple diaper border.
More examples of 18th century porcelain decorated in England with typical dragons and stippled lime green background.
This one also features panels with bright yellow and stippled blue-green background.
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blue and White Export Porcelain Dish With Chickens. 18th century
Antique Chinese clobbered blue and white export porcelain dish with chickens. 18th century
Antique Chinese Clobbered Famille Rose Porcelain Dish With Dragons. 18th-19th century
This one is even more unique as the original Chinese dish is decorated in overglaze Famille rose enamels rather than usual underglaze blue.
What’s unusual about this example is that it doesn’t seem to have any original Chinese decoration (apart from the turquoise outer border perhaps?).
Clobbered Qing dynasty blue and white porcelain dragon tea bowl with original underglaze blue square shop mark.
Some pieces of clobber ware – such as this 18th century tea bowl – were marked with nonsensical pseudo-Chinese iron red marks. You can find more examples of these on our Chinese porcelain marks identification page HERE.
Another 18th century Chinese clobbered tea bowl, this time with both original underglaze blue maker’s mark and later pseudo-Chinese iron red mark.
Antique Chinese Clobbered Blue and White Porcelain Jar. Qing Dynasty, 19th Century
Fabulous Chinese clobbered blue and white jar featuring colourful mountainous landscape scene with a large bird, flowers, huts and a fisherman. Not marked.
Rare Antique Chinese Clobbered Blue and White Jar. 19th Century, Qing Dynasty
Chinese ‘clobbered’ blue and white jar with later European overglaze decoration featuring colourful dragons, butterflies and flowers painted very much in the manner of C. J. Mason. Not marked.
Another similar blue and white decorated jar with typical landscape scene with a fisherman and unusual later European ‘clobbered’ decoration featuring flowers, birds, turtle and a crab.

We will keep updating this page as we come across additional unique clobbered pieces of Chinese porcelain.
Last updated: September 2024

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Identification of Asian Antiques. Translation of Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Marks