Porcelain with polychrome painting
China, Qianlong period (1736-1795)
Deep, wide charger on a circular base rim
In the center two stylized phoenixes, lotus flowers and floral sprays are visible, among two double circles
The interior is decorated with the ‘Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism’ between clouds
The rim is adorned with roaring waves with the ‘Eight Treasures’
Base with a six character Qianlong-mark??????
Diameter: 51.5 cm
Height: 9.5 cm
Condition: see condition report
Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 12,000 Euro

A comparable Doucai dish can be found in the Palace Museum of Beijing.



Condition:

The charger has been repaired. Minor loss of material is visible. The diameter is 51.5 cm and the height is 9.5 cm



Doucai ??

Doucai, which can be translated as ‘joined’ or ‘contrasting colors’, is a combination of underglaze cobalt blue contours with enamel colors, except blue, within the outline on the fired glaze. The blue color was applied as well as the contours under the glaze. This technique was invented in the early 15th century and perfected by the emperor Chenghua (1465-1487). In the 18th century, the technique was revived and the emperors of the Qing dynasty, such as Yongzheng and Qianlong followed Chenghua's passion for doucai objects and copied numerous pieces with the typical, sought-after pattern.



Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism

The ‘Eight Auspicious Symbols’ (bajixiang ???) were introduced to China with Tibetan Buddhism during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and have been widely used in Chinese decorative arts. The symbols include the Wheel of the Dharma (falun ??) symbolizing knowledge, the conch shell (faluo ??) symbolizing the thoughts of Buddha, the victory banner (fazhuang ??) symbolizing the victorious battle of Buddha’s teaching over all hindrances, the parasol (fagai ??) symbolizing protection and spiritual power, the lotus flower (lianhua ??) symbolizing purity and enlightenment, the treasure vase (baoping ??) symbolizing inexhaustible treasure and wealth, the fish pair (shuangyu ??) symbolizing conjugal happiness and freedom from restraint and the endless knot (panjie ??) as a symbol of harmony.

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