CHINA, GUANCHZHOU, QIANLONG PERIOD, CIRCA 1740S

Details

A PORCELAIN IMPERIAL ARMORIAL PLATE
CHINA, GUANCHZHOU, QIANLONG PERIOD, CIRCA 1740S
Circular, the centre painted with the Imperial double-headed eagle holding a sceptre and orb, surmounted by the Imperial crown, the rim with gilt foliate scrolls, lattice design and stylised flower heads, apparently unmarked, with red inventory number of the Winter Palace
9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm.) diameter

Provenance

Galerie Popoff; Christie's, London, 12-13 October 2009, lot 169.
Acquired at the above sale by the previous owner.

Literature

M.Baruch, Masterpieces of 18th century Russian porcelain from the Collection of the Popoff & C° Gallery, Moscow, 2009, no. 196.

Conditions of sale

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Sarah Mansfield

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Lot Essay

This plate originally belonged to a set of plates produced in the Guanchzhou porcelain workshops for the Russian Imperial court. This was the second porcelain service featuring Russian heraldic symbols to be produced in China, the first being a set of apothecary vessels commissioned by Peter the Great around 1720 to furnish the chemists he had recently established.

Trade relations between Russia and China developed steadily after 1727, when a trade agreement between the two nations facilitated the movement of goods across their borders. Expeditions to discover the 'secret' of Chinese porcelain were common at this time, and it is possible that this plate was one of the items brought to Russia for analysis by experts keen to unlock the secrets of Chinese porcelain production.

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