QIANLONG GILT-LACQUERED FOUR-CHARACTER MARKS IN DOUBLE SQUARES AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

The term 'Fo Ri Chang Ming' is a Buddhist expression, signifying that the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha are shining upon all sentient beings.

According to the Qing court archives, such lacquered dishes bearing the inscription 'Fo Ri Chang Ming' were commissioned only once in the twelfth month of the first year of Qianlong's reign. Compare with a nearly identical dish in the Palace Museum, Beijing, collection number: gu 00112995-10⁄28 (fig.1).