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Chinese Export Porcelain Imari Plate

Chinese Export Imari porcelain plate with blue and red floral patterns, 18th century, Jingdezhen Qing Dynasty. - view 1
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Estimated value

$150 - $350

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Category

Ceramics & Pottery

Era

circa 1740-1770

Origin

China

Authenticity

Very High(85%)
40

CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN IMARI PLATE: IDENTIFICATION

A hard-paste porcelain plate decorated in the Chinese Imari palette of underglaze cobalt blue, overglaze iron red, and gilt highlights. The central medallion features a floral arrangement including a large peony, surrounded by a cavetto with an iron-red diaper pattern trellis and alternating cartouches. The rim is decorated with a continuous scroll of foliate and floral motifs in blue and red. The reverse shows a clean, unglazed footrim characteristic of 18th-century Jingdezhen production, exhibiting a fine, white, sugary paste with minimal kiln grit.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Where This Object Echoes

Japanese Edo Period1650-1750

Original Ko-Imari patterns from Arita provided the visual template for this Chinese competition ware.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •European 'Cabinet of Curiosities' display and formal aristocratic dining service.

Meaning Through Time

18th Century

A symbol of high status and access to the lucrative East Indies trade.

Modern Era

An academic specimen of the first era of globalized trade and industrial espionage.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

Produced during the Qianlong period (1736–1795) of the Qing Dynasty, this style represents China's successful competition with Japanese Arita 'Imari' wares for the European export market. By the mid-18th century, Jingdezhen kilns were mass-manufacturing these designs for the Dutch East India ...
Produced during the Qianlong period (1736–1795) of the Qing Dynasty, this style represents China's successful competition with Japanese Arita 'Imari' wares for the European export market. By the mid-18th century, Jingdezhen kilns were mass-manufacturing these designs for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and English East India Company. The use of iron-red (ferric oxide) and gold overglaze allowed for a vibrant chromatic range that complemented the standard blue-and-white wares of the era.

SCARCITY

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

Confidence Factors

  • Footrim characteristics and paste color are perfectly consistent with 18th-century Jingdezhen production
  • Oxidation patterns on the iron red enamel suggest significant age rather than modern chemical distressing
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

Identification is high due to the clear diagnostic features of the footrim, glaze color, and specific 'Chinese Imari' decorative program which is well-documented in the works of Howard and Ayers concerning export porcelain.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Unglazed footrim shows the fine, white 'sugary' texture of Jingdezhen hard-paste porcelain.
  • 2Presence of 'pinholes' and slight glaze contraction in the center is a known firing characteristic of 18th-century kilns.
  • 3The specific palette of iron-red and cobalt blue with a blue-toned glaze is diagnostic of Qianlong-era export ware.
  • 4Hand-painted nature visible in the slight variations of the trellis diaper pattern.

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •The 6 o'clock hairline requires careful monitoring as it compromises structural integrity.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Perform a 'tap test' with a wooden stick to check for a clear ring versus a dull thud, which would indicate hidden cracks.
  • →View the plate under UV light to ensure the rim hasn't been ground down or repaired with overpainted resin.

CONDITION & GRADE

Good

Grading breakdown

Downgraded from Very Good due to the visible hairline crack and moderate loss of the decorative gilding on the central peony.

Condition

A tight hairline crack is visible extending from the 6 o'clock position inward toward the cavetto. Minor gilt loss is apparent on the flower petals and rim edge, consistent with age and stacking wear.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$150 - $350

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Specialist collectors of Chinese Export Porcelain and interior designers seeking authentic 18th-century display pieces.

What increases value

  • •Survival of original gilding significantly increases value
  • •Richness and depth of the cobalt blue underglaze
  • •Clear, well-defined hand-painting in the central medallion

What lowers value

  • •Hairline cracks typically devalue porcelain by 40-60% compared to 'mint' examples
  • •Dishwasher damage or chemical cleaning stripping the overglaze red

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Armorial bearings (family crests) in the center
  • •Larger diameters (over 12 inches) command significant premiums
  • •Extensive, thick 'mercury' gilding

Grade & condition

Chips (nibbles) to the rim, presence of hairlines, glaze scratches from cutlery, and retention of gold leaf.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandSells quickly
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For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

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