Qing Dynasty Diana Shipwreck Salvaged Blue White Starburst Platter

Qing dynasty, Jiaqing period, c. 1815-1817, China.

Magnificent, large and extremely enhancing blue and white porcelain charger decorated with the dynamic starburst pattern. Lavishly hand painted with a continuous chrysanthemum and conch design. The centre with a central bloom surrounded by four half blooms alternating with four pairs of abstract conch shells, with three lined ring. The outer rim with a similar design. The underside is painted with four stylized floral stems within a lined border. This elegant piece is an fantastic example of cross-cultural exchange. As Western missionaries and traders introduced their arts and crafts to the Manchu court, they inevitably made an impact on the ceramic production of Jingdezhen, Fujian and Guangdong provinces.

The Diana, a merchant ship of the English East India Company was wrecked in the Malacca Straits on 4 March 1817. She was a Company ship, trading between Canton and India, carrying a cargo of Chinese porcelain, tea, silk, cotton, preserved fruits, spices, and of course opium, which was extremely lucrative. Her porcelain cargo of 24,000 pieces was intended for sale to merchant based in Calcutta, for their own use and for shipment on to England. The wreck was identified and recovered in 1994 by Dorian Ball of Malaysian Historical Salvors. In March 1995 Christie's auctioned the porcelain cargo in Amsterdam.

Good condition. Chip and nicks in the rim. Fritting and glazing flaws. Size approx. 26,7cm x 27,0cm x 5,5cm. 

Provenance: Finnish private collection

For a similar example see:

Dish, The British Museum, Accession number: 1995,0508.7 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1995-0508-7)