A Chinese plate decorated in the famille rose palette. Yongzheng period. Chenghua mark.

The center with a lobed panel containing flowering stems, within a yellow diaper surround edged with further lobed panels.

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For an identical plate, dated Yongzheng period (1723-1735), see Sotheby’s London, 12 november 1996, lot 172 (from the collection of Yongzheng porcelain of Monsieur G.M., Belgium).

Notice

The Chenghua mark (1465-1487) which can be found on Chinese Export Porcelain during the 17th and 18th centuries was not intended as a forgery on the period, but rather as a compliment to the quality of the piece.

It was quite used during the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722) to replace his mark because he forgot the use of his mark on porcelain made for export after 1682. This ban was nominally remained in force until the late 19th century.

The presence of this Chenghua mark on Chinese Export Porcelain of the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) is rare. There is no doubt that this plate is from the Kangxi reign (1662-1722). If the decoration is from the same period, it would be one of the earliest famille rose enamelled décoration known, as the plate with the same mark published by A. Varela Santos (100 years of Chinese Export Porcelain, 2013-2014, London, no. 99), or the large dish sold on our website (B217).

However, it is also possible to attribute it to the early part of the Yongzheng period (1723-1735), when an earlier plate was used, but this is a troubling thing to find it only on specific group with the same type of very bold decoration.