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Chinese Wucai-style Famille Verte Porcelain Charger

Chinese porcelain charger with colorful lotus and longevity characters on a white background, late 19th century. - view 1
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Estimated value

$150 - $450

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Era

Late 19th to early 20th century (Late Qing Dynasty)

Origin

🇨🇳 China

Authenticity

Moderate(65%)
17

CHINESE WUCAI-STYLE FAMILLE VERTE PORCELAIN CHARGER: IDENTIFICATION

A large porcelain charger decorated in the Famille Verte palette featuring a central medallion with stylized lotus blooms and a 'Shou' (longevity) character, surrounded by a ruyi-head border. The cavetto and rim are decorated with iron-red lotus blossoms, scrolling green foliage, and four additional 'Shou' characters evenly spaced. The reverse shows a clean white glaze and a tapered footrim with visible kiln grit and unglazed paste typical of late 19th-century provincial 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.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

This style references the Kangxi period (1662–1722) 'Wucai' or 'Five Color' palette but was extensively reproduced during the late Qing Dynasty (Guangxu period, 1875–1908) for both domestic use and the expanding European export market. The use of the 'Shou' character signifies a wish for long ...
This style references the Kangxi period (1662–1722) 'Wucai' or 'Five Color' palette but was extensively reproduced during the late Qing Dynasty (Guangxu period, 1875–1908) for both domestic use and the expanding European export market. The use of the 'Shou' character signifies a wish for long life, a common motif in Chinese decorative arts intended for birthday celebrations or as auspicious household gifts.

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

  • Lack of an imperial or maker mark makes precise dating dependent on paste analysis
  • High volume of mid-20th-century reproductions in this specific lotus-and-shou pattern
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

The visible potting techniques on the footrim and the specific enamel palette align well with Late Qing provincial wares, though the lack of marks prevents 100% certainty of the decade.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Wucai/Famille Verte palette application consistent with late Qing revivalism
  • 2Tapered footrim profile typical of Guangxu era potting techniques
  • 3Presence of 'Shou' longevity characters in a standardized decorative layout
  • 4Clean, unpainted reverse with a slightly blue-grey glaze tint
  • 5Hand-painted enamels show slight variations in line weight, confirming manual decoration

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •Absence of 'fritting' on the rim which is common in genuine 17th-century pieces
  • •Uniformity of the iron-red suggests a more modern, stable pigment than early 18th-century equivalents

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Perform a 'tap test' to check for a clear ring (indicates no hidden hairline cracks)
  • →View under UV light to check for overpainting or professional restoration on the rim
  • →Measure diameter to determine if it meets the standard 12 or 14-inch charger dimensions

CONDITION & GRADE

Good to Very Fine

Grading breakdown

Lack of rim chips (fritting) or hairlines maintains the value, though common kiln debris on the reverse prevents a 'Mint' designation.

Condition

The footrim shows minor shelf wear and dark kiln spotting. Surface exhibits light utensil marks and one dark firing flaw located near the 3 o'clock position on the central medallion.

Weight & feel

Estimated weight between 1.5 to 2.2 kg, suggesting a substantial potted body typical of large-format chargers.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$150 - $450

Updated: May 10, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of Late Qing decorative arts and interior designers seeking authentic Chinese export aesthetics.

What increases value

  • •Large 'charger' size (over 12 inches) increases desirability for display
  • •Excellent state of preservation with no visible chips or hairlines

What lowers value

  • •Market saturation with 1970s Hong Kong reproductions of similar patterns
  • •Firing flaws like the black spot in the medallion reduce 'specimen' value

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Presence of a six-character Guangxu mark
  • •Finely drawn, thin-line brushwork in the green leaf veins

Grade & condition

Condition of the rim (absence of 'flea bites'), clarity of the enamels, and cleanliness of the footrim.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity
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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