Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries

I bought an interesting plate and I would like some input on the piece as it gives me a bunch of mixed signals that hopefully someone here has seen before and can enlighten me. The plate is almost 8" dia. Some points on the piece that concern me are the following -

- Kangxi mark, right away Im certain its not from the Kangxi period and at best late 19th century. The dragons do not look exceptionally Kangxi period to me either.

- The dragons are winged, I have been researching Chinese porcelain for quite some time and cannot recall ever seeing dragons chasing a flaming pearl with wings. The three toes do not bother me as much as the wings. I bought this though because the detailing of the dragons & quality of the painting was quite nice and pleasing.

- The grit on the back rim (which also doesn't look Kangxi to me) and because of the grit and the shape of the foot which is a more sharp edge speaks late 19th century at best.

- The colour of the paste, while its hard to see in the photo its actually a darker greyish colour, which is especially noticeable on the back where the glaze isnt as thickly applied. The thinness of the paste is quite nice as its very fine.

I would like others opinion on the age specifically as I am having a hard time determining this as I've seen a ton of blue & white dragons chasing flaming pearl ware but nothing similar. Thank you for taking the time to view!

D.

Your assumptions about age are correct. The combination of low-beveled foot around countersunk center with four-character underglaze Kangxi mark and a dash of kiln grit means your dish is a late 19th century "Kangxi Revival" product. This doesn't mean your dish lacks intrinsic value, but you're way ahead of me on that topic, since you just bought this one.

As for the wings, Wikipedia.org says "Chinese dragons are occasionally depicted with bat-like wings growing out of the front limbs, but most do not have wings, as their ability to fly (and control rain/water, etc.) is mystical and not seen as a result of their physical attributes."

Cheers,

Bill H.

Bill,

Thank you! Your opinion & comments are always appreciated. I guess my library of 500 books is finally paying off. Unfortunately, I don't have many books on late 19th-early 20th century Chinese porcelain yet, I am hoping someone will come out with an updated one soon.

D.

Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |