Famille Verte Model of Foreigners Aboard a Ship

This porcelain model of a Chinese ship carrying European sailors and merchants is decorated with famille verte (literally “green family”) enamels. Created at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen for export, the model features finely detailed rigging, cannons, and sails, all rendered in clay. This level of intricacy is rarely found in porcelain models of the time period. Its vibrant green, amber, and reddish-brown glazes reflect a revival of sancai (threecolor ceramics—an aesthetic that traces back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). Only a handful of such porcelain ships are known to exist today, making this an exceptional example of Qing craftsmanship made for global markets.