1985.R.1044, Plate, porcelain, China, 1705-1735

This delicate and finely painted plate is one of an identical pair. Its double border decoration is unusual and is enriched by a rare use of silvered enamel (moyin) on the rim, which also has alternating gold and enamel outlined reserves of blue enamel flowers and gilt lotuses within a brocaded grisaille rice grain pattern. Black and gold outline the central cartouche which has a polychrome enamel scene of a lady playing a lute-like qin. She sits in front of a chest of drawers and is flanked by blue, orange-red, and lavender containers, two of which hold ju-i headed scepters or ladles. 

An early 18th century visitor to Jingdezhen (Ching-tê Chên), the French Jesuit missionary Father d'Entrecolle observed Chinese decorators experimenting with the use of silver on porcelain and reported it in a letter dated 1722.

Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1985), 196.

The double border decoration is unusual and enriched by a rare use of silver enamels (moyin). Silver was used to decorate Chinese porcelain as early as the beginning of the 18th century. The lady is playing a lute-like gin. 

Label text, Reves Galleries, Porcelain Gallery, 2018

Until 1985: Emery Reves (1904-1983) and Wendy Reves (1916-2007) (owned jointly), La Pausa, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France [1]

From 1985: Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, gift of Wendy Reves (1916-2007) [1]

[1] According to: Olivier Meslay and Martha MacLeod, From Chanel to Reves (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2015), 4-5.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art~Read more about Chinese Export Porcelain

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