JVV 0546
Delft, circa 1680
The plate has a wide, slightly raised rim and is painted in purple and blue with a chinoiserie decor.
The centre features an oriental waterscape. Two conversing Chinese are sitting on the shore, while pavilions are visible on the other tree-covered rocky shore. The depiction is framed in a double circle. On the flange are a bamboo, a plum and a pine tree, alternating with a seated Chinese on a ground.
Dimensions: diameter 21 cm / 8.26 in.
Similar examples
Two plates in blue and blue and purple respectively with the same border decor are shown in Aronson 2004, p. 62, figs. 66 and 67.
Explanatory note
The border decor with bamboo, plum and a pine tree is known in Chinese art as the Three Friends of Cold Winter, suihan sanyou. They symbolise courage, integrity, rebirth and the desire for long life. The plants also represent a Confucian ideal of moral integrity and perseverance. Finally, there is the significance of sanjiao, the three religions of China: Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. However, the Delft plate painter who executed this decor in the 17th century was unaware of all these symbolic meanings.
Literature
D. and R. Aronson, Dutch Delftware. The Dr. Günther Grethe Collection and other recent acquisitions, Amsterdam 2004
E. Ströber, Symbols on Chinese porcelain. 10.000 times happiness, Leeuwarden / Stuttgart 2011
