RARE ASSIETTE OCTOGONALE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC Époque Qianlong (1736-1795), vers 1770-1780

RARE ASSIETTE OCTOGONALE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC Époque Qianlong (1736-1795), vers 1770-1780 A RARE BLUE AND WHITE OCTAGONAL 'PORCELAIN PRODUCTION' PLATTER Qianlong period, ca. 1770-1780 Painted in tones of cobalt blue with a porcelain producing compound, depicting several workshops with small figures working on various stages of production and decoration, all in a fenced setting bordered by rockwork and trees, with a small dog playing nearby and a smoky kiln in the distance. 37.3 cm (14 5/8 in) wide Footnotes: 清乾隆 約1770-1780年 青花製瓷圖八方盤 Provenance: Property of a Portuguese Gentleman 來源 葡萄牙紳士珍藏 This pattern is the ceramic equivalent of the pictorial representations of porcelain and tea production that were made for 18th century Westerners. Chinese porcelain was first imported into Europe by the Portuguese in the 16th century. By the 18th century, the trade in Chinese porcelain made up a large part of the cargo of the ships of the East India Company transporting large quantities of Chinese porcelain from Canton to Europe and America. At the same time there evolved a type of painting made in China for Western audiences that illustrated the different stages of porcelain production. These involved depicting the mining of porcelain stone and kaolin, the mixing and washing and fashioning into clay bricks, transportation, firing, decoration, packing and finally shipping. Though in reality the workshops of Jingdezhen operated on a vast scale, the scenes are often depicted in idealised idyllic landscapes such as on this dish. Compare a platter of the same shape and design, sold in Christie's New York, 21 January 2009, lot 75, and a smaller platter from the collection of Benjamin F. Edwards III, sold Christie's New York, 20 January 2004, lot 37. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing