Description:
One of two Chinese export porcelain scalloped-edge plates decorated with floral sprays in a bowl on a small table in the well and a lotus-petal design around the rim in the Famille rose palette in pinks, iron red, blue, brown, greens, turquoise, white, black and gilding. The Chinese considered the lotus ('nelumbo nucifero'), a plant native to China, to be a powerful symbol with several meanings: association with harmony since the Chinese name, 'hehua', and the word for harmony have the same pronunciation; symbol of Buddha representing his purity and transcendence; symbol of fertility and abundance with its seed pod representing the wish for many children, especially sons; and symbol of Daoism where it is the emblem of 'He Xian Gu', one of the eight Daoist immortals. The lotus was both a popular design on Chinese porcelain found on ceramics as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 9 A.D.) and in the export market; while Westerners appreciated the design, they did not understand its significance to Chinese culture. Godden suggests that the above average quality of many of these wares meant that they were Private Trade goods ordered by the individual supercargoes, but Howard states that it is likely that larger consignments were also ordered by the East India companies. The rim has pink lotus petals outlined and highlighted in iron red alternating with shaped tourquoise cracked ice patterns with white flower heads; the curvature has a wavy band of brown coils with white flowers heads; and the well has flowers sitting in a bowl on a small table standing on a leaf, flanked by flowers and a hollow rock.
Subjects:
Pottery; Enamel and enameling; glaze (coating by location); polychrome; Porcelain Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+63.177.1 |
