Lot 169 An extremely rare Chinese blue and white 'First Order' armorial dish with a yinglong

An extremely rare Chinese blue and white 'First Order' armorial dish with a yinglong

Zhengde

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€ 60.000 – € 120.000

O: H. 6,4 cm, Diam. 30,7 cm

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This heavily potted dish belongs to the earliest group of Chinese export porcelains made for the Portuguese market in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, commonly known as the ‘First Orders’. These wares were initially commissioned through Chinese merchants operating in Malacca and, following the Portuguese settlement at Macau in 1557, were ordered directly from China.
The dish is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a central winged dragon (yinglong) medallion. The reverse bears five medallions alternating between the armillary sphere, a bird perched beside a hare, and the Portuguese royal coat-of-arms. Such dishes form part of a small and distinctive group characterized by sketchily rendered Western motifs, often copied imperfectly by Chinese painters; notably, the Portuguese coat-of-arms is frequently shown inverted or inaccurately detailed.
The armillary sphere, the personal emblem of King Manuel I of Portugal (r. 1495–1521), and the royal coat-of-arms were closely associated symbols of Portuguese royal authority and maritime expansion. Their appearance on these early export porcelains reflects the close commercial links established between Portugal and China during the earliest phase of direct maritime trade.
此盤胎體厚重，屬十五世紀末至十六世紀初專為葡萄牙市場燒造的早期中國外銷瓷，通常稱為「第一批訂製瓷」（First Orders）。此類器物最初由活躍於馬六甲的中國商人代為訂製，1557年葡萄牙人定居澳門後，則開始直接向中國訂購。
盤心以青花繪團形應龍紋。盤背設五組圓形開光，交替繪渾天儀、禽鳥與野兔，以及葡萄牙王室徽章。此盤屬於一組數量稀少、特徵鮮明的早期外銷瓷。其西方紋樣多由中國畫工依照樣本摹繪，筆法往往較為率略，細節亦未必準確，其中葡萄牙王室徽章尤其常見上下倒置或局部失真的情況。
渾天儀是葡萄牙國王曼努埃爾一世（1495—1521年在位）的個人徽記，與王室徽章均是葡萄牙王權及海上擴張的重要象徵。這些標誌出現在早期外銷瓷上，反映了中葡直接海上貿易初期所建立的密切商業聯繫。
Reference:
A near-identical dish, but with a phoenix in the centre, is in the Albuequerque Foundation, Sintra, Portugal and illustrated in 'The RA Collection of Chinese Ceramics. A Collector's Vision', Maria Antonia Pinto de Matos, Jorge Welsh Books, pp. 148-149, no. 58, inv. no. 137. Another closely comparable example was sold with Veritas Art Auctioneers, Lisbon, 10 October 2013, lot 269. (sold EUR 110.000,00) (link)
Provenance:
Jorge Welsh Works of Art, Lisbon/London, with their labels to the reverse.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above in 2011.
Exhibited and published:
Jorge Welsh Works of Art, Lisbon/London, included in their 2009 exhibition of 'Art of the Expansion and Beyond', and published in the accompanying catalogue, pp. 83, cat. no. 5.
TEFAF Maastricht, Jorge Welsh Works of Art, 2011.