A Pair of 18th Century Blue & White Porcelain Plates

A pair of late 18th century blue and white Export porcelain plates, of octagonal form, having beaded edges and decorated with figurative scenes.

The figures depicted on this pair of plates are both holding fans in courtship. Originally, the fan can be dated back to Ancient Greek civilisation as early as the 4th century BC; whereas in China it dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). At this time, it was mostly made of feathers and was exclusive to the Chinese upper classes. It was made popular during the Han Dynasty and saw use by the middle and lower classes during the Song Dynasty. At this time it adopted the famous ‘moon shape’. Favoured especially by young ladies, the rounded fan, often decorated with embroideries or paintings was popular for almost 1000 years and became an art form in its own right.

Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (1735-1796)