Skip to main content
Curiosa
Sign InTry a scan

Chinese Export Porcelain Nanking Style Blue and White Plate

Late 18th-century Chinese export blue and white porcelain plate with river landscape and floral border. - view 1
1/3

Estimated value

$150 - $350

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

Late 18th Century (circa 1770-1790)

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Very High(85%)
14

CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN NANKING STYLE BLUE AND WHITE PLATE: IDENTIFICATION

A hand-painted cobalt blue underglaze porcelain plate featuring a classic river landscape scene. The central medallion depicts a pagoda, mountains, and a sampan boat, surrounded by a diaper-patterned cavetto and a wide floral-and-scroll border on the rim. The reverse reveals three simple hand-drawn floral sprigs and a characteristic unglazed, iron-red tinted footrim.

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 PotteryGeorgian

Directly inspired the 'Willow Pattern' developed by Thomas Minton around 1780

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Elaborate dinner party services in 18th-century colonial American and European merchant households

Meaning Through Time

18th Century

Luxury status symbol and evidence of participation in global trade

Modern

Classical design staple and historical artifact representing East-West exchange

PRODUCTION & FIRING

Produced in Jingdezhen during the Qianlong period (1736-1795) specifically for the Western market, this 'Nanking' pattern became a staple of Chinese Export trade. The use of cobalt 'blue and white' was highly prized in 18th-century Europe and America before the widespread success of English transferware inspired by these very designs.

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

  • Unglazed footrim shows correct gritty texture and iron-oxidation typical of 18th-century Jingdezhen kilns
  • Brushwork exhibits the fluid, rapid execution seen in period export workshops
  • Glaze 'pitting' and iron spots are consistent with period firing techniques
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

Identification is high based on clear images of the reverse side and footrim, which provide the most diagnostic evidence for dating Chinese export porcelain.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Hand-painted cobalt underglaze with visible brush strokes in the landscape
  • 2Unglazed, slightly recessed footrim with orange-brown skin from iron in the clay
  • 3Presence of 'kiln grit' (small sandy particles) fused into the glaze on the base
  • 4Typical 'orange peel' texture to the glaze surface when viewed under oblique light

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •None; the piece displays all technical characteristics of a period export landscape plate

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Perform a 'tap test' with a fingernail; a clear bell-like ring confirms structural integrity without hidden cracks
  • →Conduct a UV light test to check for professional overpainting or invisible restoration on the rim

CONDITION & GRADE

Good (VGC)

Grading breakdown

Presence of 'pinholes' and kiln debris is a natural manufacturing artifact of the period rather than damage; no visible hairline cracks or significant rim fritting observed.

Condition

Significant kiln grit and iron spots visible in the central landscape. The footrim shows expected abrasive wear and minor chipping consistent with 200+ years of domestic use.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$150 - $350

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of 18th-century maritime history and Chinese Export porcelain specialists.

What increases value

  • •Condition of the rim, specifically the lack of 'fritting' or large chips
  • •Completeness of the central landscape composition
  • •Presence of the café-au-lait rim line

What lowers value

  • •Hidden hairline cracks visible only under UV/transmitted light
  • •Staining or discoloration from old food oils seeping into kiln pinholes

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Larger size (platters over 12 inches)
  • •Vivid, deep cobalt 'inky' blue color
  • •Rare features like armorial crests in the center

Grade & condition

Absence of chips, cracks, and the amount of surface scratching from cutlery.

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

COMMENTS

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Sign in to leave a comment

ABOUT CERAMICS & POTTERY

Pottery, porcelain, stoneware, earthenware, and kiln-fired objects.

Ceramics & Pottery value and rarity guide

SHARE THIS CURIOSITY

Have your own curiosities to discover?

Scan Your Curiosity