Each octagonal dish painted with eight lotus petals with underglaze blue whorled-ground decoration,

the cavetto of each petal enclosing an open lotus blossom,

the dish center reserved with a stylized spray of lotus flower,

all within a whorled-ground' blue rim border; the rim verso painted with prunus sprigs

The lotus, or 'sea-rose', is of unique importance in Chinese folklore and philosophy.

It symbolizes purity and is one of the eight Buddhist precious things.

The lotus comes out of the mire but is not itself soiled.

It is inwardly empty yet outwardly upright.

It has no branches (no family / offsprings) but yet smells sweet.

The words for lotus in Chinese (Lian-Hua, He) has the same meanings as :

to bind, connect (in marriage) one after the other, uninterrupted, to love, and modesty

Ref : For an illustrated pair of plates see Howard & Ayers, "China for the West", Vol. II, p. 444, pl. 450.

A similar armorial plate was also exhibited at the New York China Institute, 1973-74.

A further example, centering the arms of Eliaz de Haze

is in the Ackland Gallery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Elias de Haze worked for the VOC (Dutch East India Company), in Jakarta.

Condition : Excellent, with normal areas of rim fritting

Each, 7" Diameter

RESERVED

#8037

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Pair Chinese Export Octagonal Blue & White Lotus Dishes, Yongzheng / Qianlong, c1735-40 

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