Chinese export porcelain charger decorated in enamels from the famille verte (wucai) palette with two mandarin ducks, a butterfly and lotus leaves, Kangxi reign.

Chinese export porcelain charger decorated in translucent enamels from the famille verte (wucai) palette with two mandarin ducks, a butterfly and lotus leaves and flowers in a large pond, the outlines and the border with under-glaze cobalt blue (qinghua) flowers and leaves, c. 1720, Kangxi reign, Qing dynasty, d. 43 cm, 17 in. 2.12064

Illustrated: 100 Years of Chinese Export Porcelain, by A. Varela Santos, 2014/2015, cat. 36.

◆ The decoration with a pair of mandarin ducks in a lotus pond represents the sixth month of the Chinese lunar year.

The beautiful mandarin duck mates for life, they stand for an affectionate couple living in harmony. Most of the times they are shown together with lotus whose flower symbolize harmony and wishes for numerous children.

中國外銷瓷青花五彩大盤, 以五彩繪有一對鴛鴦, 一隻蝴蝶, 蓮葉, 蓮花和池塘等圖案, 并以青花 在盤邊和盤沿處繪以花葉等圖案, 約1720年, 清康熙, 直徑43 釐米, 17 英吋 。

插图: 《百年中国外销瓷》 阿.瓦瑞拉.桑托斯, 2014/2015, 目录 36。

◆ 鴛鴦戲水的紋飾代表中國陰曆的六月。漂亮的鴛鴦結為伴侶, 代表相親相愛白頭偕老。通常它們 與荷蓮表現在一起, 荷花象征和美而蓮子寓意連生貴子。