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Chinese Imari Export Porcelain Plate

18th-century Chinese Imari porcelain plate with blue and red floral center and patterned border - view 1
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Estimated value

$75 - $150

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

18th Century (Qing Dynasty, c. 1730-1780)

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Very High(90%)
7

KILN TO COLLECTION: CHINESE IMARI EXPORT PORCELAIN PLATE

A classic example of 18th-century Chinese export porcelain executed in the 'Chinese Imari' palette. Measuring as a standard dinner-sized plate, it features a hard-paste porcelain body covered in a slightly bluish tinted glaze, often referred to by specialists as a 'duck-egg' glaze. The decoration consists of underglaze cobalt blue paired with overglaze iron-red enamels, illustrating a central floral spray of blossoming peonies and chrysanthemums. This is framed by a distinct iron-red diaper (trellis) and blue-banded border, punctuated with foliate half-flower cartouches. The reverse reveals a cleanly cut, unglazed footrim showing the characteristic dense white paste of Jingdezhen kilns, with scattered iron spots and minor kiln dust that serve as excellent indicators of period manufacture.

CLAY ACROSS CULTURES

Where This Object Echoes

Japanese (Edo Period)17th-18th Century

The original Arita (Imari) wares that inspired this specific color palette and pattern layout.

European (Dutch Delftware)18th Century

Tin-glazed earthenwares from the Netherlands that also heavily imitated both Chinese and Japanese export styles.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Formal dining and display in aristocratic and upper-bourgeois European homes, where these plates were often arrayed on wall racks or dressers to signal wealth and global connections.

Meaning Through Time

18th Century

An exotic, high-status imported luxury good reflecting global trade power.

21st Century

A traditional decorative antique valued for its historical narrative and classic 'Grand Millennial' interior design appeal.

FROM KILN TO COLLECTOR

The term 'Chinese Imari' describes a fascinating period of global ceramic espionage and market adaptation. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Japanese kilns in Arita dominated the European export market with their red, blue, and gold 'Imari' wares. Recognizing the immense profitability of ...
The term 'Chinese Imari' describes a fascinating period of global ceramic espionage and market adaptation. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Japanese kilns in Arita dominated the European export market with their red, blue, and gold 'Imari' wares. Recognizing the immense profitability of this style, Chinese potters at Jingdezhen cleverly appropriated the Japanese palette to win back the European market share. By the mid-18th century (Qianlong reign), Chinese Imari mass-produced for the Dutch and English East India Companies had largely supplanted the original Japanese exports due to Jingdezhen's superior manufacturing scale and lower costs.

KILN-SIDE SECRETS

1

Chinese Imari represents a meta-imitation: the Chinese were copying Japanese potters, who had originally developed their industry by copying earlier Chinese Ming dynasty porcelains.

2

The characteristic bluish tint of the glaze on this plate was caused by a reduction atmosphere in the wood-fired kilns of Jingdezhen, a signature that helps experts differentiate it from the clearer or slightly grayish glazes of European or Japanese counterparts.

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

Confidence Factors

  • The bluish glaze tint and sporadic iron spots are consistent with 18th-century wood-fired kilns.
  • The style of wear on the overglaze enamels is natural and commensurate with 250+ years of age.
  • The unglazed footrim shows the correct paste density and turning marks for Jingdezhen export ware.
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

The visual markers—specifically the glaze color, paste structure at the footrim, and the specific application of the enamels—are unambiguous and highly characteristic of authentic 18th-century Chinese export porcelain.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1The 'duck-egg' (slightly bluish) hue of the clear glaze is a hallmark of Jingdezhen reduction firings of the era.
  • 2Absence of spur marks on the base; Japanese Imari typically features three or more stilt/spur marks from the firing process, while Chinese export usually has a clean sanded footrim.
  • 3The combination of underglaze cobalt and overglaze iron-red with precise, geometric diaper borders is the textbook 'Chinese Imari' export vocabulary.
  • 4Inherent firing flaws (fritting and black iron dots) evidence pre-industrial production.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Run a fingertip around the outer rim to feel for concealed flea-bite chips or old composite restorations.
  • →Examine under a UV light to ensure no hairline cracks have been overpainted.
  • →Check closely for faint remnants of gilding (gold leaf), which was often applied alongside the red and blue but frequently rubbed off over centuries of handling.

CONDITION & GRADE

Condition

Very good period condition aligning with user context of 'minor wear'. Some rubbing to the overglaze iron-red enamels, particularly on the raised portions of the floral motif. Scattered micro-pits and iron spots are inherent firing anomalies from the kiln, not post-production damage. No visible chips or hairline cracks from these images.

Surface

Glossy, slightly undulating 'duck-egg' clear glaze applied over hand-painted cobalt. The overglaze iron-red enamels sit proud of the surface and show characteristic matte wear. Several minor firing pits (pinholes) are visible in the central well.

Weight & feel

Substantial and dense, typical of 18th-century Chinese hard-paste porcelain intended to survive long sea voyages.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$75 - $150

Updated: Apr 2, 2026

Who buys this

Traditional antiques collectors, decorators specializing in English country house or 'Grand Millennial' styles, and specialists in East India Company trade history.

What increases value

  • •Condition is paramount; plates without chips, hairlines, or restorations bring a premium.
  • •Retention of original gilding (if any was present, though often lost on examples like this) increases value.
  • •Crispness of the painting and vibrancy of the underglaze cobalt.

What lowers value

  • •Hidden hairline cracks (often only visible under UV light or via a 'tap test').
  • •Severe wear to the overglaze red enamels or extensive rim fritting.

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Part of an intact matching service or garniture set rather than a solitary plate.
  • •Incorporation of armorial crests alongside the Imari pattern.

Grade & condition

Presence or absence of rim chips, hairline fractures extending from the edge into the well, and the percentage of retained overglaze enamel.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity
Browse similar ceramics objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

CONTEXT ANALYSIS

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

What Aligned

  • User believes item is 'Original/Authentic' - Visual evidence of the paste, glaze pooling, and hand-painted application firmly supports a genuine 18th-century dating.
  • User notes 'Minor wear' - Supported visually by the slight rubbing to the overglaze red enamels while the plate remains structurally intact.

FROM THE CABINET OF

BR

bruinsma
The Connoisseur•55 items

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