Franz Collection | Papillon Butterfly | Sugar Jar with Lid | Porcelain | XP1877 | Designed and Sculpted by Jen Woo | 2001

The sugar jar is the quietest piece in any tea service — which is perhaps why Jen Woo ensured this one would never be overlooked.

Franz Collection, established in Taiwan in 1993, built its international reputation on porcelain that unites functional tableware with ambitious three-dimensional sculptural design. The Papillon Butterfly series — designed and sculpted by Jen Woo — remains among the most recognisable and widely collected of the company’s output, distinguished by its naturalistic modelling, hand-painted surfaces, and cohesive organic palette. Pattern XP1877 forms part of the core Papillon service, alongside the teapot, creamer, cup and saucer, and related decorative pieces. Each example is individually hand-painted using lead-free glazes. This piece was produced in 2001 under licence through Seagull Decor Co. Ltd and distributed internationally by Enesco Ltd.

The sugar jar is of low, rounded globular form, broad through the body and narrowing to a wide opening at the rim. The surface is finished in graduated tones of warm cream and pale celadon, overlaid with brushed green leaf forms that move across the shoulder. Two applied white narcissus blooms with yellow centres sit just below the lid line, providing a visual anchor to the composition.

A slender green stem handle rises in a simple loop from the body, while the opposing side carries the principal sculptural element: a three-dimensional butterfly with raised wings, hand-painted in amber, orange-brown and cream with white spotting and dark veining, its body rendered in deep brownish-purple. The lid is round and gently domed, finished in pale celadon and cream with a brushed leaf motif, and surmounted by a closed narcissus bud finial. The foot ring is glazed in soft mauve-pink. The base carries the blue underglaze Franz mark, the red seal stamp, and the Jen Woo signature.

There are no chips, cracks, or repairs. All applied elements are intact. The lid fits cleanly and securely. The painted surfaces remain bright and unfaded.

• Grade: Excellent
• Maker: Franz Collection, Taiwan
• Designer & Sculptor: Jen Woo
• Series: Papillon Butterfly
• Pattern Number: XP1877
• Form: Sugar jar with lid
• Year: 2001
• Material: Hand-painted porcelain
• Dimensions: Length (handle to handle) 15 cm; Diameter 11 cm; Height 9.5 cm
• Weight: 300 g
• Marks: Blue underglaze Franz mark; red seal stamp; Jen Woo signature
• Includes: Original Franz box

Collector Appeal

Part of one of Franz Collection’s most recognised and consistently collected series, the Papillon range benefits from strong cross-piece demand, with collectors often seeking to assemble or complete full services. The sugar jar occupies a key position within that set, making standalone examples desirable both as functional display pieces and as components of a larger grouping. Early 2000s production, original box presence, and excellent condition further strengthen its retail appeal.

A tea service without a sugar jar is a conversation without a conclusion — and Jen Woo understood that even the conclusion deserves a butterfly.