A BLACK-GROUND GREEN-ENAMELLED 'BUTTERFLY AND FLOWER' DISH

QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD

清乾隆 墨地綠彩蝶戀花紋盤 《大清乾隆年製》款

the shallow rounded sides rising to a broad, gently flared rim, painted in vibrant green enamels with a central medallion enclosing peony flowers supported on leafy stems and small lingzhi issuing from a cluster of rocks, with two delicate butterflies fluttering overhead, the rim encircled by a wide band of ruyi heads, the exterior painted with overlapping waves, all against a black ground, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Diameter 18.3 cm, 7 1/5 in.

The pair to this dish was sold at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2011, lot 1592. See also a pair of Qianlong mark and period dishes of this type, but with a lotus scroll on the well and on the exterior, included in the Min Chiu society exhibition An Anthology of Chinese Ceramics, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1980, cat. no. 133, and sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29th November 1978, lot 363; and a dish of slightly larger size, decorated with birds among flowering trees, and with a diaper pattern on the well, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28th April 1992, lot 242, and again at Christie’s New York, 29th November 1990, lot 292, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Jack Warner.

The garden scene on this dish is steeped in auspicious symbolism, and each element of its composition was carefully chosen for its auspicious properties. Peonies (fuguihua) were historically cultivated in imperial gardens and symbolise prosperity. They are considered the flowers of spring, and when depicted with butterflies (fudie), they grant the wish for an accumulation of blessings, wealth and high social status. Rocks (shoushi) and lingzhi on the other hand, represent longevity, and with peonies they form the wish for a long and honourable life.