A rare pair of 'famille-verte' dishes Marks and period of Kangxi

each with thinly potted rounded sides angling to an everted rim, finely enamelled with a scene of an elderly scholar in loose layered robes, leaning heavily on his wooden staff, his acolyte by his side before rocks and small bushes, the rim with small iron-red blooms, petals and butterflies

Marchant & Son, London, 1990.

The dishes are in good condition overall. To the dish on the right hand side, there are four ironspot on the mouthrim, and two areas on the rim where the glaze been slightly misfired to a brownish colour. To the footrim, there is a small firing chip under the glaze on the foot of approx 0.7 by 0.3cm. To the dish on the left hand side, there are a few scattered ironspots on the interior.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A pair of dishes of this shape with the same border design and similarly composed but with different figure scenes in the centre, belonging to the Hon. Irwin Laughlin and currently in the Meiyintang Collection, is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, pls 773-4. Another dish of this type decorated with two ladies in the centre and with a spurious six-character mark of Chenghua, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, p. 229, pl. 223; and one in the Percival David Foundation is illustrated in Rosemary E. Scott, For the Imperial Court, London, 1997, pl.24.

Dishes of this type were supposedly made for the Kangxi Emperor's 60th birthday in 1713, and thereby are often called 'birthday plates'.