Qianlong Era, circa 1750 An oblong octagonal tureen (together with matching cover and stand), tapering toward the thickly-potted, straight and recessed foot, with handles molded in the shape of hare heads, and surmounted by a slightly domed cover with a scroll finial. Each piece is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, overglaze famille rose enamels, and heightened in gold. The two longer sides are painted with a scene showing the Sacristia Mayor of Seville Cathedral to the right, surrounded by a tall iron-red and cobalt blue wall complete with battlements and towers. A Chinese lady is punting a sampan to the left, in front of a blue and orange rock behind which grows large flowers sprays with peony and lotus blossoms. The bird flying above a carp fish and two ducks swimming in the river, is out of scale. The cover is decorated with a comparable asymmetrical border with scrolls enclosing flower heads and small spirals, white plum blossoms against a blue background, several symbolic symbols such as ruyi heads and knots, and scattered sprays of pink and green flowers. An iron-red band with trellis and coin patterns, heightened in gold, is painted on the rim of the cover, with a ruyi head on each angle. The handles and scroll-shaped finial are painted in underglaze blue, with details in gold, tureen, 8 1/2 in. H., stand. 13 in. L., 10 in. W. See; J. Welsh, "A Time and a Place" figures 26-30.
In 1572, the King commissioned the royal architect Juan Herrera to build la Ionja near the cathedral. The final plan was approved in 1582 and construction began in 1584. In 1598, the house of la Ionja was ready to be used, although the construction only finished entirely in 1646. In 1785, la Ionja was transformed into the Archivo General de Indias, after it had been renovated by the architect Lucas CintoraThe core position on these pieces includes part of a European building, which has recently been identified by the architect and painter Jose Ramon Sierra, as the Sacristia Mayor of the Cathedral of Seville. This new information is significant since Seville Cathedral is the only known Spanish building represented on Chinese export porcelain.

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