Chinese Export Porcelain Armorial Dish With European Coat of Arms

Details

Description

European Union: Chinese Export Famille Rose Armorial Platter,
Circa 1760 (Qianlong Period)

This elegant rectangular serving dish with canted corners … Read more European Union: Chinese Export Famille Rose Armorial Platter,
Circa 1760 (Qianlong Period)

This elegant rectangular serving dish with canted corners features a beautifully rendered, highly detailed European coat of arms at its center. The platter is decorated in the delicate Famille Rose palette, with the central well framed by a classic gilt and iron-red spearhead border. The wide rim is beautifully adorned with four distinct groupings of floral sprays at the corners, interspersed with scattered blossoms.

The centerpiece is a large and elaborate double coat of arms, created specifically to commemorate a marriage. The achievement is technically accollé (two shields placed side-by-side), displaying the joining of two noble families.

Heraldic Details:

Left Shield (Husband's): Features a large quadruped rampant (likely a fox or wolf) in iron-red upon a rich cobalt blue (azure) field with a green base.

Right Shield (Wife's): Displays a similar rampant animal on a blue field, but uniquely presented on a lozenge-shaped shield topped with a coronet, denoting her noble or titled status.

The Crests: The achievement is surmounted by two facing, closed visored helmets, each topped with a rampant fox-like animal. A striking central sunburst or estoile radiates between them.

Measurements:

Length: 13 inches (33 cm)

Width: 9 3/4 inches (24.8 cm)

Depth: 1 inch (2.5 cm)

Condition: Good with a slight rub to the gold on one arms.

Historical Context: Dutch or English?

The specific composition of this achievement strongly points to Continental Europe, most likely Dutch.

In British heraldry, a marriage is typically shown by "impaling" (halving and merging) both coats of arms onto a single shield. The use of two distinct shields placed side-by-side, combined with the elaborate double-helmeted crests, is a hallmark of Continental European heraldic tradition. Ordering a massive custom dinner service from Jingdezhen, China, was an extravagant way for a wealthy Dutch or Continental merchant family to celebrate and immortalize a dynastic union during the height of the 18th-century China Trade.

(Ref: NY11052-lmr) See less