Description:
Chinese export porcelain platter with a gold band around the outer well and gold wheat border around the rim, and a scene of a chamber music ensemble of seven male musicians with wigs done in black in the well. Undecorated or minimally decorated objects, which have been enhanced by unscrupulous individuals, are a common pitfall in ceramics collecting. These pieces are usually redecorated with more appealing or rare decoration with the intention of selling them for higher prices. First identified as a fake by David S. Howard, this platter began as a minimally decorated piece of Chinese porcelain and was redecorated to enhance its value. The first clue to this object being a fake is the merger of two very different, almost incongruent decorative styles: an ink color image of a chamber music ensemble with a gilt wheat sheaf border with a crest. Stylistically the two types of decoration appear awkward together. The platter’s central decoration does exist on other examples of Chinese export porcelain; the “concert scene” engraving and a punch bowl with decoration following the engraving are illustrated in John Goldsmith Phillips, "China-Trade Porcelain (Cambridge, 1956). Perhaps these images provided the faker with a source for imitation. Secondly, scratches from use are inevitable; over time knives and forks scarred the surface of this platter. Abrasions become a tell-tale feature to examine when trying to determine if the decoration has been added at a later date. In this case, closer inspection of the platter’s well reveals black enamel flowing down into previously existing scratches, thus confirming that the decoration was added later. The musical scene was added probably sometime in the early 20th century; the gilt wheat border is original to the piece, and was probably used by an agricultural organization such as a grange.
Tags:
music Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+64.131 |
