18TH CENTURY

The design of this plaque is based on Han dynasty prototypes, such as the Western Han dynasty openwork plaque of similar shape in the Qing Court collection illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 4 - Jadewares (I), Hong Kong, 1995, p. 257, no. 215. An excavated plaque, very similar in design to the present plaque, which is dated to the Qianlong period, and also incorporates the three characters yi zisun in the design, is in the National Museum of China, Beijing and illustrated in Zhongguo guojia bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu - yuqi juan, Shanghai, 2007, p. 340, no. 281. See, also, the very similar plaque inscribed with a Qianlong mark, from the Lizzadro Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 21 March 2013, lot 832.