Pair of monteith wine coolers

A pair of Chinese porcelain wine coolers. Each an oval, flat-based basin on four hollow claw-and-ball feet in green and yellow, having at either end a pair of fixed ring handles in the form of red-and-gold chrysanthemum blooms. The sides are encircled by yellow ribs framing the main band of decoration of an aged tree with various blooms, including lotus, peony, peach and chrysanthemum, with cash-diaper and chrysanthemum border below in red, and above, a deeply scalloped rim cut to hold the stems of ten wine glasses. Between are painted sprays, alternately, of peony and chrysanthemum. Inside are large carp and sea creatures among water weeds, with smaller carp round the sides.

Text adapted from Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen: Volume I.