China plate

18th Century

Mellor Collection, Otago Museum (Image copyright, Otago Museum, Dunedin)

Unpublished

This 18th century porcelain plate was produced in Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi region in the northeast of China. Jingdezhen is known as the ‘Porcelain Capital’ and it is thought that high quality, fine china has been produced there for almost 2000 years. More commonly associated with blue and white coloured wares, pottery has been exported from the area as early as the 13th century and Marco Polo (1254-1324) mentioned the quality of the porcelain in his Travels of Marco Polo. Nothing is known of this particular plate or how Mellor came to have it in his collection but he was no doubt attracted by its vibrant colour palette.