Famille Rose Square Dish

During the 18th century, Europeans provided an eager market for Chinese export porcelain, especially the colorful and fanciful ware known as “famille rose.” Named for a palette of opaque overglaze enamels that favored roses and pinks, famille rose porcelain ware was crafted with the same technical virtuosity as imperial porcelain but designed for Western tastes.

This square porcelain dish is a beautiful example of famille rose, decorated in a palette of turquoise, yellow, and pink. The shallow dish features a round lotus medallion and four cartouches of flower and animal pairings, likely representing the four seasons. The surrounding area is filled with floral scrollwork against a turquoise field and framed by a border of auspicious ruyi. The underside is painted with additional flowers of the seasons, including peony, lotus, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom.