Fishermen Plate

c. 1730

Fishermen Plate, c. 1730. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Yongzheng reign (1723–35). Egg-shell porcelain with famille rose enamel overglaze decoration; diameter: 3.6 x 21 cm (1 7/16 x 8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund 2021.146 The plate shows four fishermen holding nets and creel. The plate was made during the Yongzheng reign known for its fine porcelain decoration in famille rose colors. Similar scenes of fishermen on paintings of the Ming and Qing period illustrate the popularity of the theme and its adoption by craftsmen and potters. The labels on the plate’s base testify the plate was in the former Garland and the Morgan collections.