Lovely Chinese Porcelain Plate, SE Asian Market Straits Bencharong Late 18th c

Out of stock

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Condition Report: Condition. Chip and 3 hairlines Size 229mm x 42mm

A very nice decorated plate.  These wares and their specific characteristics of wild colour and thick enamel have all the characteristics that we can also find in Straits and Bencharong wares. We quite often find whole collections of these thick ennameled & bright coloured 18th c plates stuck together in Dutch Indonesian Estates. Often also with Chinese Perenakan ancestry.

 

Symbolism

Buddha’s hand citron/Finger Citron/Finger Lemon

The Buddha’s hand citron (Citrus chirocarpus) derives its Chinese name fo shou and the alternative English one of “finger citron” from its odd shape. It symbolises “much happiness” and is used as an offering for the altar during Chinese New Year. It’s rind is highly aromatic and believed to be demon-repelling making it highly prized. The dried peel is also thought to possess remarkable medical qualities.
Finger Citron has the appearance of a hand, hence it is a symbol of Buddha’s Hand in the gesture of grasping money, a sign of wealth. Also represents divine protection. Finger citron in Chinese is pronounced as “fo shou”. “fo” sounds very much like “fu” which means happiness. “shou” is the word for long life.

Children

The wish for children is a very common motif in paintings, embroidery and porcelain. However, it must be admitted that traditionally the wish is for boys not girls. In ancient times children’s hair was shaved off, leaving a boy with a central tuft over the forehead and a girl with two tufts over the ears. the Heavenly twins are two boys carrying a box and a lotus to symbolize a wish for peace ‘hé’ 和 (box) and harmony 荷 hé (lotus). A picture may be divided in two, each part having a mother and son, one side has the son holding a lotus flower on the other the son rides a qilin, both symbolize a wish for a son. A picture with children surrounded by peaches and pomegranates symbolizes the wish for many sons.

Source: Stallard, R. Chinasage: All about China. Retrieved from the Chinasage website.