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Chinese Export Porcelain 'Imari' Palette Plate

18th-century Chinese export porcelain plate with Imari-style blue and red floral decoration and diaper border - view 1
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Estimated value

$50 - $150

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

c. 1740-1780 (Qianlong Period)

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Very High(90%)
2

KILN TO COLLECTION: CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN 'IMARI' PALETTE PLATE

A classic example of 18th-century Chinese export hard-paste porcelain, decorated in what the European market termed the 'Imari' palette. Thrown at the Jingdezhen kilns, the plate features an underglaze cobalt blue foundation fired at high temperature, subsequently over-decorated with iron-red enamels and traces of fugitive gilding fired in a lower-temperature muffle kiln. The central reserve displays a stylized floral spray, likely peony and chrysanthemum, framed by a characteristic Qianlong-period diaper-work border (lattice pattern) punctuated by ruyi-head or floral cartouches. The glaze exhibits the distinctive bluish-grey tint ('duck-egg' hue) expected of Qing dynasty export wares, with minor glaze pooling near the unglazed, gritty footrim.

CLAY ACROSS CULTURES

Where This Object Echoes

Edo Period Japan17th-18th Century

The color palette directly counterfeits Arita (Imari) wares designed for export

Dutch Republic18th Century

Delftware potters also heavily copied this exact aesthetic in lower-temperature tin-glazed earthenware

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Aristocratic European dining and dessert services, displaying status through imported goods
  • •The arrangement of porcelain in 'China closets' as a symbol of worldly wealth

Meaning Through Time

18th Century

An imported exotic luxury good demonstrating wealth and nautical trade connections

21st Century

An accessible antique providing a touchstone to the broader history of global trade

FROM KILN TO COLLECTOR

This plate represents a fascinating economic pivot in ceramic history. Originally, the 'Imari' palette (underglaze blue with overglaze red and gold) was popularized by Japanese potters in Arita during the late 17th century. When Japanese porcelain became too expensive or difficult for the Dutch ...
This plate represents a fascinating economic pivot in ceramic history. Originally, the 'Imari' palette (underglaze blue with overglaze red and gold) was popularized by Japanese potters in Arita during the late 17th century. When Japanese porcelain became too expensive or difficult for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to source, Chinese kilns at Jingdezhen shrewdly stepped in to dominate the market. They produced these 'Chinese Imari' wares throughout the 18th century specifically for European dining tables, successfully undercutting their Japanese competitors while satisfying Western hunger for exotic, durable luxury goods.

KILN-SIDE SECRETS

1

To achieve this look, the plate had to be fired twice in completely different kilns: once at a massive 1300°C for the blue, and again in a smaller kiln at around 800°C for the red.

2

The tiny chips on the edge of the plate are known by specialists as 'fritting' or 'moth-eaten edges'—a common flaw caused by the specific glaze recipe shrinking away from the sharp rim during firing.

GLAZE & CLAY BODY

Surface

The surface features a glossy, high-fired, faintly blue-tinted glaze over the cobalt, contrasting with the slightly matte texture of the low-fired iron-red enamels. The rim exhibits typical minor fritting where the glaze has crawled slightly from the sharp edge.

Weight & Feel

Substantially potted for everyday use in the 18th century, it has the dense, resonant heft characteristic of true hard-paste Jingdezhen porcelain.

Condition

Consistent with its 250-year age, showing minor edge fritting (flea bites) to the glaze on the rim, typical rubbing to the overglaze iron-red enamels, and the near-total loss of the fragile overglaze gilding. No major cracks or restorations are visible under standard lighting.

HOW SCARCE IS IT?

Average55-70%
CommonLegendary

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

Typical Characteristics

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

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

The combination of the diaper border design, the distinctive Imari palette on a Chinese paste, and the visible footrim and glaze characteristics provides a textbook example of 18th-century export ware.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1The 'duck-egg' (bluish-grey) hue of the transparent glaze over the white paste is a Jingdezhen hallmark.
  • 2Interaction between the high-fired underglaze cobalt yielding a slightly blurred effect beneath the sharp, low-fired iron-red overglaze.
  • 3The unglazed footrim shows slight buff-colored burning and granular texture typical of 18th-century kiln furniture and paste recipes.
  • 4Rim fritting ('moth-eaten' effect) is characteristic of how this specific Qing-era glaze adhered to sharp edges during cooling.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Examine under blacklight (UV) to confirm there are no over-painted hairline cracks extending from the fritted edges.
  • →Hold up to a strong light source to check the degree of paste translucency.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$50 - $150

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Who buys this

Traditional antique collectors, interior decorators sourcing period pieces for historically inspired homes, and collectors of 'China Trade' artifacts.

What increases value

  • •Pristine condition with no rim fritting (though rare)
  • •Vibrancy and retention of the overglaze gilding, which is often completely washed away
  • •Intricacy of the central floral arrangement compared to standard patterns

What lowers value

  • •Hairline cracks that ring 'dead' when tapped
  • •Loss of the iron-red enamel due to harsh modern cleaning
  • •A decline in traditional 'brown furniture and china' collecting trends among younger demographics

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Belonging to a complete unbroken service with documented aristocratic provenance
  • •Addition of a family crest or armorial shield mixed with the Imari palette

Grade & condition

Presence and size of rim chips/fritting, deepness of the cobalt blue strike, and the percentage of retained overglaze red and gold enamels.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity
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For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

CONTEXT ANALYSIS

How your provided context compares with Curiosa.com scanner findings.

What Aligned

  • Origin/Language: visual evidence of the paste, glaze, and decoration confirms Chinese origin (Jingdezhen kilns).
  • Original/Authentic: the item possesses all legitimate hallmarks of period production.
  • Condition: user's note of 'minor wear' accurately reflects the visible rubbing to the enamels and edge fritting.

What Conflicted

  • Time Period: User suggests '1900', but the specific diaper border, 'duck-egg' glaze tint, and palette unequivocally date this to the mid-18th century (Qianlong period), making it over a century older than believed.

FROM THE CABINET OF

BR

bruinsma
Fellow Collector•40 items

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