Lot 163 A Chinese blue and white 'Sage and Servant' plate

A Chinese blue and white 'Sage and Servant' plate

Wanli mark and of the period

未知

€ 10.000 – € 20.000

O: W. 18,2 cm, Diam. 18,2 cm

未知

The plate is potted with shallow, rounded sides and supported on a foot rim. The interior is painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a central medallion enclosing a figural landscape scene, depicting a sage seated by the water beneath pine and flowering branches, accompanied by a young servant, with rocks, mountains, water and butterflies completing the scene. The cavetto is densely decorated with dragons and phoenixes amidst scrolling clouds and flame-like motifs, creating a lively and dynamic composition.
The exterior is painted with scattered flowering sprays around the sides. The base bears a six-character Da Ming Wanli Nian Zhi mark in underglaze cobalt blue within a double circle.
此盤淺腹弧壁，底承圈足。盤心以青花開光繪人物山水圖，畫中一仙人坐於水畔松樹及花枝之下，旁有童子相伴，周圍點綴山石、遠山、水景及蝴蝶。內壁滿飾龍鳳紋，龍鳳穿行於卷雲及火焰狀紋飾之間，構圖繁密而富有動勢。
外壁間飾折枝花卉紋。底心青花雙圈內書 ‘大明萬曆年製’ 六字款。
Provenance:
Bernheimer Collection, Munich, collection no. c/398, with their label to the reverse.
The Drs. A. M. Sengers Collection, collection no. 222, acquired from the above in June 1991.
S. Marchant & Son, London, with their label to the reverse.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2001 and accompanied by a copy of their original invoice. (see added scans)
Exhibited & published:
S. Marchant & Son, London, included in their November 2001 exhibition of 'Ming Blue and White Porcelain. The Drs. A. M. Sengers Collection', and published in the accompanying catalogue, pp. 30-31, no. 19. Also illustrated in their 2025 publication 'One Hundred Years', Vol. II, p. 24, fig. 1019.