Chinese Porcelain Dish, Ca. 1900

Wonderful ancient Chinese porcelain plate, fully original and made circa 1900. This is a very special piece because of its nice and colorful decoration, typical of Famille Rose (Pink Family) porcelain pieces. We also must remark its excellent condition: the porcelain is almost intact with no cracks, hairlines or dents. The plate is bright and delicate and its top surface is completely painted by hand. The main scene depicts two mythological beasts typical of Chinese culture: the dragon and the phoenix.The dragon is painted to the right of the plate; it is red and shows a fiery face, with its snake-like body completely stretched and sharp claws. This is a four-fingered dragon, something that indicates that this plate probably belonged to a high dignitary (the five-fingered dragon could only be depicted on pieces owned by the imperial family). The phoenix bird that rests to the left symbolizing the rebirth of life from the ashes: the bird is holding a lovely white lotus flower, a Buddhist symbol of purity and an icon traditionally associated with divinity.The two beasts are nicely painted on a light blue sky crossed by plants with big leaves. Framing the scene we can see a circular yellow fringe with pink and green flowers that provide the plate with even more colors. If we turn the plate upside down, at the rear side we will find four colorfully depicted lotus flowers, geometrical in style and quite beautiful. The plate also shows the furnace mark that indicates that it is an artisanal piece; it is the brownish tone that stains the porcelain in the places burned by the heat during the firing process.This plates fascinating beauty and symbolism turn it into a magnificent piece that will stand out in the best collection of Oriental porcelain.Measurements: Diameter: 9.6 in/24.5 cm.