Tea canister & cover, Qianlong c.1755-60, with the arms of Poley impaling Coffin
Tea canister, 4¼ inches tall including cover, with the arms of Poley (or Griffiths) impaling Coffin of Devon. The marriage shown on this service has not yet been found, and it is possible that the principal coat is for Griffiths rather than Poley of Suffolk. The Coffin family had lived in Devon since the Conquest and Sir William Coffin was Master of the Horse at the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Each side of the tea canister decorated with a colourful parrot, a motif popular on armorial services mainly in the 1755-60 period. The shaped and ribbed sides of this oviform canister are also typical of this period, as is the Buddhist lion finial.
Provenance: the Weld Collection; formerly in the Clifford Henderson Collection (sold at Woolley & Wallis 2011)
Reference : Howard, David S.; Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Volume I, p.547
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