Egg Cup (Coquetier)

From the Getty Museum record

The stem of this small cup is molded in the form of a stylized gap-mouthed dolphin, the head resting on a crest of waves and the raised tail fin supporting the bowl of the cup. The latter has the shape of an inverted bell and is decorated with a dragon chasing butterflies. All are colored in blue, green, yellow, red, and black enamel. The form and ornament are based on East Asian prototypes – the dolphin shape copying examples in Chinese export porcelain, and the design of the dragon mimicking decoration seen on Japanese porcelain that, in turn, was an adaptation of an ancient Chinese motif. This cup is the only known polychrome example of its type from the Chantilly manufactory north of Paris. It was likely used to hold a soft-boiled egg to be consumed at the end of a dessert course.