Plate - Porcelain - Cockerels in a Garden

A Fine and Unusual Chinese Blue-and-White ‘Cockerels in a Garden’ Charger China, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period, circa 1680–1720 Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue Diameter: 27.5 cm A finely painted and unusually decorated Chinese blue-and-white porcelain charger of the Kangxi period, boldly painted in varying tones of cobalt blue with a lively garden scene centred on two confronting cockerels. The well is decorated with the two birds standing opposite one another on a gently rising ground line, surrounded by flowering plants and ornamental rockwork. Behind them rises an architectural setting with a terrace or pavilion structure, flowering branches and a large stylised tree, creating a compact but highly animated garden composition. The cockerels are rendered with considerable charm and individuality, their raised tails, crested heads and finely hatched plumage giving the scene a particularly lively character. The juxtaposition of the two birds beneath the architectural setting is especially striking and considerably less conventional than the floral or figural central scenes more commonly encountered on Kangxi export chargers. Below the birds, the painter has added flowering sprays issuing from pierced scholar’s rocks, while the wide border is filled with a continuous arrangement of flowering and fruiting branches, leaves and scrolling stems. The decoration is painted in several shades of underglaze cobalt, from pale washes to strong dark outlines, a characteristic feature of high-quality Kangxi blue-and-white porcelain. Comparable Kangxi wares in the Rijksmuseum demonstrate the same sophisticated use of underglaze-blue garden, bird and floral decoration during the period circa 1680–1720. Rijksmuseum.nl The reverse is more sparingly decorated with freely painted underglaze-blue floral sprays around the outer wall. The unglazed foot ring shows the expected traces of age and firing. The unusual central subject is particularly noteworthy. Cockerels are associated in Chinese visual culture with vigilance, courage and martial spirit, and paired birds could also carry auspicious associations. On Kangxi export porcelain, however, large chargers are more frequently encountered with floral medallions, landscapes, figures, peacocks or panels of flowering plants. Christie’s and other collections record many such examples, while paired cockerels as the principal central subject appear considerably less frequently, making the present decoration especially appealing. Provenance Old private collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Acquired more than 40 years ago and retained continuously in the same Amsterdam private collection until 2026. The reverse retains an old handwritten dealer or collection label describing the piece as an “Export Blue & White Porcelain Charger”, dating it to the Kangxi period, and recording the diameter as 27.5 cm. A further old inventory label numbered 1736 remains attached to the reverse. These historic labels form an important part of the object’s collecting history and should be preserved. Condition Excellent condition for age. The charger has been examined under UV/blue light. No hairlines or restoration were detected. Minor surface wear, small firing imperfections and normal traces of age only. The glaze retains an attractive lustre and the cobalt decoration remains strong and clearly defined. The unusually well-preserved condition is especially noteworthy for a Kangxi export charger of this size and age. Blue-and-white porcelain reached a particularly high level of refinement during the Kangxi reign, when Jingdezhen workshops produced large quantities of technically accomplished porcelain both for the Chinese market and for export to Europe. Surviving Kangxi chargers demonstrate a wide variety of designs, including flowers, birds, landscapes and narrative scenes, often painted in several distinct tones of cobalt blue. The present example combines several of the most attractive characteristics of Kangxi export porcelain: strong cobalt painting, an extensive garden composition, a broad decorative border, unusual animal iconography, large format and very good preservation.

Estimate:£465.97

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