Chinese Export Rose Medallion Plate, Qing Period, c. 1860

Chinese export place in Rose Medallion pattern with four alternating panels around a central gold circle (or medallion) enclosing a bird and a tree peony. The tree peony is the rose of China. The four alternating sections consist of groups of birds, flowers and butterflies and groups of people in a house. These are painted in Famille Rose colours of predominately pink, green and blue.

The quality of this plate is particularly good, with delicate gold details, indicating an earlier date. Rose medallion was one of several standard patterns developed during the second half of the 19th century. Apart from one minute frit, the condition of the plate is excellent. The underneath shows evidence of kiln grit. As is usual with Chinese export porcelain, it is unmarked.

Chinese famille-rose refers to Chinese porcelain decorated with predominantly pink coloured enamel, made from colloidal gold. These colours were known to the Chinese as yangcai ("foreign colours") because they were first introduced from Europe around 1685. The various colour "families" came to dominate production for the luxury market under the Qing (1644–1912).