Antique Chinese Wanli Small Kraak Plate 1600 Porcelain Ming Magpie & Butterflies

无货

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Condition Report: Overall Condition; Rimnfritting, Size (aprox): Size: 146mm

Description

Magpie

Magpie (xi que). The “bird of joy” and of good omen, brings joy, often married bliss. Its call heralds good news or the arrival of a guest. “Two magpies” was pronounced the same as “two happinesses,” so a painting of two magpies was a pictorial metaphor for double happiness and thus an appropriate subject for a painting to be given to someone to express congratulations, especially for a wedding. The myth also has it that if a man and a wife had to separate for a while they would brake a mirror and take a half each. If the woman succumbed to other men in the meantime, her half would turn into a magpie and fly back to her husband.

Butterfly

Butterfly – joy and conjugal felicity. Butterfly is pronounced in homonym with the word die which means a 80 years old. Two butterflies together is meant a wish of “longevity”. “Die” is also pronounced similar to another word which means to “pile up” or “repeat” – and thus given the meaning “many”.

Source: Nilson, J. Gotheborg: Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Collectors’ Help and Info Page. Retrieved from the Gotheborg website.

Source: Nilson, J. Gotheborg: Antique Chinese and Japanese Porcelain Collectors’ Help and Info Page. Retrieved from the Gotheborg website.