one side enamelled with a pair of birds perching on flowering tree issuing from rockwork amongst other plants, against a navy blue ground, the reverse with a quaint walled garden surrounded by water with hills and a pagoda afar, surrounded by gilded borders, mounted on a fitted wooden stand (Dimensions: 17.2cm x 13.2cm) (Qty: 1)

(17.2cm x 13.2cm)

Qty: (1)

Provenance: Private Scottish collection; property of Anne Bennet (nee Daly) (1926 – 2004), thence by descent. With a handwritten envelope addressed with “Mr Warner, Fogg Museum, dated to 16 May 1945, "Late Ming" - 15th century”; the envelope included a handwritten letter with the following content: “This plate was originally in the Imperial palace... plunder... "loot" in 1859 by the Anglo-Franco troops. It is a fine specimen of copper enamelling, the darker shade being the so-called "lost Chinese blue" which cannot be reproduced by modern processes. It is probably many hundred years old and was originally mounted on an elaborately carved stand which has however fallen to pieces. It was sent from China by my mother's brother...in that country from 1842 to 1859 when he died there. I am afraid he took it from the Palace himself... after the loot he became the possessor of a very considerable number of beautiful and valuable articles which he sent home to Scotland... this plate being amongst them." With another handwritten note dated to 16 June 1978: "Chinese plaque, Sotheby Parke Bernet (Old Gaol Museum Com.) 300/400 (current auction value)" With a typed letter dated to 24 March 1994 from Robert S. Black, mentioning: "Barbara and I had the teakwood frame for it custom made in Tokyo, 1957." The current owner, private Scottish collection, is a child of Anne Bennet, who was gifted this plaque from her cousin Barbara Bell Black (1910/5 - 1994) and Robert S. Black (a bequest from Babara's father with a handwritten letter). Together with an envelope of Register of Probate addressed to Anne Bennet.

Footnote: Note: a comparable cloisonné enamel plaque of similar size and dated to the Qing Dynasty, 17th-18th century, was offered in Bonhams New York, on 20 Sept 2021, lot 181