China, circa 1740. The dishes with openwork sides in the form of overlapping rings imitating spotted bamboo (xiangfei zhu), enameled in yellow and brown. The center decorated with peonies, chrysanthemums and butterflies superbly painted in crisp enamels, enclosed by a floral diaper band, detailed with radiating lines within cells on a green ground with horizontal lines. (2)

Provenance: Sotheby's, London, 6 November 1973, lot 132. Dr. Anton C.R. Dreesmann, acquired from the above. Christie's, London, 10 April 2002, lot 374, sold for GBP 3,525 or approx. EUR 7,800 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). S. Marchant and Son, London, 2002. Richard and Maxine Markell, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from S. Marchant and Son, London, dated 14 June 2002, dating the plates to circa 1740, and stating a purchase price of GBP 6,500 or approx. EUR 14,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Each dish with two old inventory labels from the Dreesmann collection to the base, one dish further with a label ‘Marchant London Qianlong 1736-1795’. Dr. Anton C.R. Dreesmann (1923-2000) was a third-generation member of the founding family of the biggest Dutch department store, Vroom & Dreesmann, and a passionate collector, amassing over 1,300 works of art, including the famous ‘Waterloo Bridge’ by Claude Monet.
Condition: Very good condition, superbly enameled and with only light wear, manufacturing flaws including minor warping, pitting, dark spots, glaze recesses, and few firing cracks.

Weight: 316.6 g and 312.2 g
Dimensions: Diameter 21.4 cm and 21.2 cm

Xiangfei zhu, or spotted bamboo, a native plant of Hunan, Henan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, refers to several types of bamboo with stems that are mottled by dark spots. The stems of the spotted bamboos are generally esteemed for making the handles of Chinese brushes, used for calligraphy and painting. Early examples from brushes made of spotted bamboo date back to the 8^th century, Tang dynasty, and were highly valued in China as well as Japan, as can be seen from objects imitating spotted bamboo in the Shosoin (treasure house) in Japan.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related dish with openwork rim, late 17^th to early 18^th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 79.2.1037.



乾隆早期一對粉彩湘妃竹紋開光花開富貴盤子
中國，約1740年。折沿淺腹盤，圈足。折沿鏤空連環狀，琺瑯彩黃褐相間，如湘妃竹紋理。盤中開光描繪富貴花開圖，牡丹、菊花，四周蝴蝶飛舞。 (2)

來源：倫敦蘇富比，1973年11月6日；Dr. Anton C.R. Dreesmann購於上述拍賣；倫敦佳士得，2002年4月10日，lot 374，售價 GBP 3,525，折合為現今EUR 7,800 (根據現今通貨膨脹率)；倫敦S. 3月ant and Son，2002年；Richard and Maxine Markell，購於上述藝廊。隨附倫敦S. Marchant and Son藝廊2002年6月14日出具的原始發票複印件，上面斷代為約1740年，售價 GBP 6,500 ，折合為現今 EUR 14,500 (根據現今通貨膨脹率)。每個盤子底部都有Dreesmann 收藏標籤，一個上面可見 ‘3月ant London Qianlong 1736-1795’。 Dr. Anton C.R. Dreesmann (1923-2000) 是荷蘭最大百貨公司 Vroom & Dreesmann 創始家族的第三代成員，也是一位忠實的收藏家，收藏了 1,300 多件藝術品，包括莫奈 Claude Monet 著名的“滑鐵盧橋”。
品相：狀況非常好，釉色精美，輕微磨損，製造缺陷包括輕微翹曲、點蝕、黑點、釉面凹陷和少量燒製裂紋。

重量：分別爲316.6 克與 312.2 克
尺寸：直徑分別為 21.4 厘米與 21.2 厘米

文獻比較：
比較非常相近的十七世紀晚期至十八世紀早期鏤空雕刻彩盤，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號79.2.1037。