Plate thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Plate

ca. 1775 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Jingdezhen (made)

Porcelain plate, with wavy lobes and high rim. Painted in black enamel with Arabic inscriptions from the Koran, separated by bands of chain-like pattern in red. In the middle is a 'magic square' design divided into 16 compartments, each enclosing a numeral.

Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Object type
Plate
Materials and techniques
Porcelain painted in polychrome enamels
Porcelain
Painted
Brief description
Plate, porcelain painted in polychrome enamels with Arabic inscription and 'magic square' design, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1775
Physical description
Porcelain plate, with wavy lobes and high rim. Painted in black enamel with Arabic inscriptions from the Koran, separated by bands of chain-like pattern in red. In the middle is a 'magic square' design divided into 16 compartments, each enclosing a numeral.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 20.6cm
Style
Qing
Credit line
Given by H.M. Queen Mary
Object history
Given by H. M. Queen Mary, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Found in a 'treasure room' at Golconda Fort and presented to H.M. Queen Mary at Hyderabad in 196.
Production
Attribution date taken from the inventory record
Literary referenceKoran
Bibliographic references
  • Hunt, E.H., 'Old Hyderabad China', In Journal of the Hyderabad Archaeological Society, January, 1916. Reprint by the Times Press, Bombay, 1916. pl. XVIII and XIX
  • Cheng Te-K'un, 'Some Chinese Islamic "magic-square" porcelain'. In Journal of Asiatic Art, No. 1, Lee Kong Chian Museum, Singapore: Nanyang University, ca. 1972. pp.146-160.
  • Kerr, Rose and Luisa E. Mengoni Chinese Export Ceramics London: V&A Publishing, 2011. p.115, pl.166
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
C.12-1910

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Record createdDecember 12, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O179291/plate-unknown/
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