Bidspirit auction | Pair of Dutch Market Herring

Pair of Dutch Market Herring Dishes - Pair of Chinese export blue and white porcelain 'herring' dishes, Qianlong ca. 1765. Each of rectangular form with canted corners and slightly raised rims. Painted along the center with a fish within a border of floral lappets and a band of cell pattern below the rim. The reverse with eight groups of four dots painted in a deep cobalt blue. Illustrated in David S. Howard, ”Choice of the Private Trader, ” pg. 131, no. 136. Provenance: Christie's, Amsterdam, ”Chinese and Japanese Ceramics and Works of Art, ” 19 October 1988, Lot 163; The Distinguished Collection of Leo & Doris Hodroff. Reference: Howard & Ayers, ”China for the West, ” Vol. 1, pg. 85. Lot Essay: These dishes were used for herring, particularly in Holland. The painted fish, though somewhat more tropical in appearance, is possibly meant to be a herring. The shape derives from similarly painted Delft dishes, though the original is not exactly known. (Each) length: 9 1/2 in x width: 5 1/2 in x depth: 1 1/2 in. Condition: Some fritting to the rims of both plates. A few minute chips to the footrims. No noticeable cracks or restorations.