A Fine Large Kangxi Mark and Period Porcelain Dish

A Fine Kangxi Mark and Period Dish, Jingdezhen kilns c.1690-1710. The form and layout of the decoration hark back to Kraak porcelain Klapmuts but this dish is unmistakably Kangxi. The blue is exceptionally good, strong and also bright with a thick clear sparkly glaze with a feint blue hue. The base with a six-character Kangxi mark and of the period. Kangxi blue and white porcelain figure decorated plates and dishes of this type were very popular in Holland where the elegant Chinese ladies were referred to as Lange Lyzen. The shape, size and tones of blue employed, as well as the white pearly glaze, are very similar to the well-known `Rotterdam Riot` plates which can be dated to c.1692-1695. Unlike the political subject of the Rotterdam Riot plates, the figure as a subject matter was not ephemeral. Therefore, it is likely the figure decorated dishes and plates were made over a longer period, this is further confirmed by the large extant number known. Kangxi blue and white export porcelain object are sometimes found with the six-character mark of the emperor Kangxi (1662-1722) to the base. These none-imperial reign marks are referred to as minyao in Chinese, denoting them as `popular wares` not destined for court use. However, the majority of the marked pieces bare the mark of earlier Ming dynasty emperors, some are Jiajing (1522-1566), occasionally Wanli (1573-1620) but by far the most commonly encountered marks are those of Chenghua (1465-1487). David Howard in `The Choice of the Private Trader` (David S. Howard, Zwemmer, 1994) notes that “The Chenghua mark …. was not intended as a forgery, but rather as a compliment to the quality of the piece and to replace the mark of Kangxi who had forbidden the use of his name on porcelain made for export after 1682; a ban which nominally remained in force until the late 19th century”. It appears this ban was not enforced, or if it was only partly enforced, as we have had many Kangxi export pieces made after this date (1682) that bare the six-character Kangxi mark. It is worth noting that many 19th century copies of Kangxi blue and white porcelain bare a four-character Kangxi mark, something you do not find on the original, all Kangxi marks on porcelain of the period were of six-character form.

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