A Commedia dell'Arte plate,

CIRCA 1720

細節
A Commedia dell'Arte plate,
circa 1720
Painted in green, yellow and red enamels and gilt on underglaze blue with a central commedia dell'arte type figure dancing on a chequered ground dividing the inscription 'wie op Uytrecht of nieuw Amsterdam' (who wants to speculate on Utrecht or New Amsterdam), below a leaf-pattern border (rim chips, crack and restoration)
21cm. diam.

拍品專文

This plate forms one out of a series of six plates with inscriptions referring to the 'South Sea Bubble' mania of 1720 and the recession in Europe around the same period caused by the monetary policy of John Law and his Compagnie des Indes in France. Many investors had thought to make a lot of money by speculating on shares ('acties').
For a more elaborate discussion on the background: cf. Howard & Ayers, China for the West, p.234, 235, pl.230, 230a, 230b; Hervouët & Bruneau, pp.212-219; Lunsingh Scheurleer, 1974, nos. 254, 256, 258; Chine de Commande from the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, pp.116-117
A set of six plates were sold at Christie's Amsterdam, October 15, 1990, lot 142