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Chinese Export Blue and White 'Nanking' Style Porcelain Plate

18th-century Chinese blue and white porcelain Nanking plate with landscape scene and floral border. - view 1
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Estimated value

$150 - $350

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

circa 1760-1790

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Very High(85%)
19

CHINESE EXPORT BLUE AND WHITE 'NANKING' STYLE PORCELAIN PLATE: IDENTIFICATION

A hard-paste porcelain plate featuring underglaze cobalt blue decoration in the Nanking style. The central medallion depicts a river landscape with a sampan, pagodas, and a fortified bridge, surrounded by a spearhead border and a complex floral diaper rim. The reverse exhibits three simple floral sprays and an unglazed, wedge-shaped footrim characteristic of 18th-century Jingdezhen production.

Compare with other ceramic pieces in the archive: Alabaster Urn-Shaped Vase, Han Dynasty Style Glazed Ceramic Boar Figurine, Chinese Blue and White 'Three Friends of Winter' Stem Cup, Ming Style.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Where This Object Echoes

British Ceramic Industrycirca 1790-1820

Directly inspired the 19th-century 'Willow Pattern' produced by Spode and Minton.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Used in European formal dining services to demonstrate wealth and global trade connections during the Enlightenment.

Meaning Through Time

18th Century

A luxury utilitarian object representing 'Exoticism' and the Far East.

21st Century

An academic collectible valued for its role in the history of international maritime trade.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

Produced during the Qianlong period (1736–1795), this style of porcelain was manufactured in Jingdezhen and shipped via Canton to European and American markets. The 'Nanking' pattern, distinguished by its more detailed diaper borders compared to the simpler 'Canton' pattern, reflects the ...
Produced during the Qianlong period (1736–1795), this style of porcelain was manufactured in Jingdezhen and shipped via Canton to European and American markets. The 'Nanking' pattern, distinguished by its more detailed diaper borders compared to the simpler 'Canton' pattern, reflects the mid-to-late 18th-century Western demand for Chinoiserie landscapes depicting idealized Chinese life.

SCARCITY

Average55-70%
CommonLegendary

Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.

Rarity 4/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 100 ceramics items at rarity 4 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

  • Standard antique shop items
  • Regularly available
  • Moderate collector interest

Confidence Factors

  • Wedge-shaped footrim shows correct iron-red oxidation and natural wear patterns
  • Cobalt blue behavior in the 'spearhead' border is consistent with 18th-century hand-painting
  • Presence of 'pinholes' and kiln grit align with period firing techniques
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

The clear views of the footrim and the specific border patterns allow for a high-confidence attribution to the late 18th-century export market.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Underglaze blue diaper border with spearhead inner rim (Nanking type)
  • 2Unglazed wedge-shaped footrim with slight iron-oxide orange tint at the paste margin
  • 3Hand-painted 'sampan and pagoda' landscape with characteristic 18th-century perspective
  • 4Glaze pits and sporadic kiln sand on the base consistent with Jingdezhen wood-fired kilns
  • 5Visible rim fritting (mushikui) indicative of high-fired export porcelain aging

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •The chip at 3 o'clock significantly impacts the value ceiling for a common pattern

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Check for 'hidden' hairline cracks by lightly tapping the plate; a clear ring indicates structural integrity.
  • →Examine the plate under UV light to ensure the rim chip has not been masked by older lead-based overpaint.

CONDITION & GRADE

Good (G)

Grading breakdown

The primary detraction is the edge chip and associated fritting, though the central enamel remains vibrant with minimal stacking wear.

Condition

Significant rim chip visible at the 3 o'clock position; several minor frits and glaze losses along the outer edge. Some kiln grit is adhered to the reverse within the footrim.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$150 - $350

Updated: May 10, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of 18th-century Chinese export porcelain and enthusiasts of historical Blue and White tablewares.

What increases value

  • •Clarity of the landscape painting
  • •Darkness and 'heaping' of the cobalt blue
  • •Structural integrity (lack of hairlines)

What lowers value

  • •Large rim chips significantly decrease value by up to 50%
  • •Presence of dull glaze or heavy surface scratches from utensil use

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Absence of glaze pinholes
  • •Deep, vibrant 'violet' hues in the cobalt
  • •Provenance from a known 18th-century set or shipwreck

Grade & condition

Chips, hairlines, glaze brilliance, and centering of the decorative motif.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandSells quickly
Browse similar ceramics objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

FROM THE CABINET OF

BR

bruinsma
The Connoisseur•57 items

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