Dish thumbnail 1
Dish thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Dish

ca. 1740-1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The decoration of flowers and fish on this dish is painted in coloured enamels. The soft pink is derived from gold, and experts think that it was introduced into China from Europe around 1720. Many of the other pigments are muted by the addition of the newly invented opaque white enamel. The fashion in Europe for colourfully decorated ware began in the early 18th century, when Chinese blue and white porcelain was becoming less popular.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain, painted in overglaze enamels and gilt
Brief description
Dish, porcelain painted in overglaze enamels and gilt, China (Jingdezhen), Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, ca. 1740-1750
Physical description
The dish is painted in coloured enamels with a basket of flowers and a border of carps swimming among water weeds. The soft pink is derived from gold and believed to have been introduced into China from Europe around 1720. Many of the other pigments are muted by the addition of the newly invented opaque white enamel. In the early 18th century the taste for Chinese blue and white porcelain was declining, and colourfully decorated ware became popular.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 38.7cm
Styles
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Production
from label
Subjects depicted
Summary
The decoration of flowers and fish on this dish is painted in coloured enamels. The soft pink is derived from gold, and experts think that it was introduced into China from Europe around 1720. Many of the other pigments are muted by the addition of the newly invented opaque white enamel. The fashion in Europe for colourfully decorated ware began in the early 18th century, when Chinese blue and white porcelain was becoming less popular.
Bibliographic reference
Clunas, Craig, ed. Chinese exports art and design. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1987, figure 19.
Other number
Loan no. 217
Collection
Accession number
C.1391-1910

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Record createdNovember 12, 2002
Record URL
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