A famille rose “cockerel” plate. China, Yongzheng

The plate is decorated in the famille rose palette. The well is painted with two cockerels among flowering peonies beside a pierced rock in underglaze blue. The finely detailed plumage, highlighted in yellow, brown and black enamels, contrasts with the soft pink peonies and green foliage. The broad rim is covered with a turquoise geometric diaper ground, interrupted by four lobed reserves outlined in underglaze blue and decorated with peonies, chrysanthemums and flower buds. The rim is finished with a brown enamel line.

COUNTRY : China
TIME: Yongzheng (1723-1735)
MATERIAL : Porcelain
SIZE : 23 cm
REFERENCE : F022
PROVENANCE : From a French private collection
STATUS : vendu
Related works .

G. Williamson, The Book of the famille Rose, 1970, color plate XLIV.

Additional information.

The decoration brings together several of the most auspicious motifs in the Chinese decorative repertoire. The two cockerels, symbols of vigilance, courage and success, are traditionally associated with prosperity and the attainment of official rank. The peonies, celebrated as the “Queen of Flowers”, symbolise wealth, honour and high social status (fugui富贵). The pierced scholar’s rock (gongshi), a characteristic feature of the literati garden, represents stability, endurance and longevity. The combination of the cockerel and the peony conveys the wish for wealth, honour and success (gongming fugui 功名富贵), one of the most popular auspicious themes in Chinese decorative art. Together, these motifs express the wish for a prosperous, honourable and enduring life.

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