Meissen Style Armorial Small Platter with Rococo Cartouche
Chinese export porcelain platter, circa 1760.
Dimensions: Approximately 9⅞” x 7”.
Decoration:
The rim is decorated with a bianco sopra bianco design in the Meissen style and has four cartouches of fruits and flowers.
The center is decorated with a large rococo cartouche within which is an image of standing tree trunk. Below the cartouche is the motto “Tanto Uberior” in a ribbon. This translates as “So Much The Richer”. Surrounding the cartouche are eight small flowers.
The reverse of the rim is decorated with a gilt bamboo vine and flowers and the base is unmarked.
The service is illustrated and discussed in Howard, “The Choice of the Private trader”, at pp. 132-133.
This platter is part of a very unique service. Each piece bears a different image within the cartouche. These images are derived from “Devises et Emblemes” (1691) by Daniel de la Feuille. However, they appear to be based on a later edition commissioned by Peter the Great in the early 18th century.
In the case of this platter, the image matches image number 388 on pp. 130-131 of the later edition.
The service was sold by Major General Sir George Burns, at Christie's London in 1979, and is sometimes referred to as the Burns service.
Howard suggests this service may have Jesuit significance.
The Meissen style, which was popular at the Russian court, and the use of the Russian commissioned edition of de la Feuille’s work for the images suggest that the service may have been produced for the Russian market.
Condition: Loss of gilding on edge of rim, minor glaze flake on reverse of rim; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage. Please examine the photos; they are part of the description.
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