Large Chinese Blue & White Charger, Late Qing period, 19th Century

A large 14.5 inch blue and white Chinese charger, freely painted with a bird and butterfly amongst chrysanthemums and a prunus blossom border. The underside is painted with bamboo leaves. The bottom is unmarked.

The glaze has dimples and iron spots. The foot rim has an iron oxide line around the edge of the glaze. There is a tiny chip on the underside of the bowl edge. Otherwise, it is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or scratches.

The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing, was the last imperial dynasty of China. It was established in 1636, and ruled China proper from 1644 to 1912. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The multiethnic Qing empire lasted for almost three centuries and formed the territorial base for modern China. It was the fourth largest empire in world history in terms of territorial size.