Blue and white Chinese-looking platter

This platter (31cm x 23 cm) belonged to my Great-Grandfather. My Mother told me that it used to sit on his desk with his inkwells on it. I don't know what nationality it is but I do know that he undertook a lengthy world tour at some stage that included the UK, France, and China, so it could be Chinese. Any information about it would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

It is a Chinese "Canton" blue and white export platter from the 19th c, nice one. Here is a comparable one I have. Yours is has the more common flat, unglazed bottom.

 

I do not think it was bought in China, as these were generally exported to the West.

 

Thank you for all this information.

M

 

My third photo shows some sort of incision in the base, that could be "16" or "61". Does anyone know if that has any significance. Or is it just a scratch.

 

Whatever it is, it isn't a date or a maker's mark, possibly a factory code but meaningless.

 

@Mat
Do you think the OP's is old? I'm not sure I have seen any with that type of bottom.
The ones I have seen, and the one I have, have glazed bottoms.

 

FWIW, I thought it looked far more recent.

 

From what I can see in the photos i think it is an old, 19th c one. The bottom is not unusual, here is an earlier example of such flat, unglazed ones: http://www.mountvernon.org/preserva...rowse-the-museum-collections/object/w-161275/

 

Mat, you know a lot more about Asian porcelain than I do. I'm just starting to dabble in it. The bottom of the OP's just doesn't look right to me. But I'm probably wrong.

 

I really love that the link is to Mount Vernon. Up until DH got sick I volunteered there in the Archaeology department once a week for years.

The good thing about archaeology is that you're dealing with honestly old things most of the time rather than modern repros. The plate in the link is a different pattern than Canton being more of a Nanking style but I know the purpose is to look at the base. Much of Washington's china I know had a Fitzhugh border but there are many types there. I actually started collecting a particular Chinese pattern because of a pattern that was excavated and I was captivated by it.

Anyway, there is a Canton platter on the Gotheborg discussion board with this same striated base that at least the contributors seem to think is period. Not sure that they'd want it linked here though.

What I did want to offer if anyone wanted to nose around are a couple links to sites. The first is the Reeves Collection of Chinese porcelains from Washington & Lee University, searchable.

http://wlureevescenter.pastperfectonline.com/

And to some of the archaeology collection from Mount Vernon, this is a sherd where you can see the base.

http://mountvernonmidden.org/data/objects2.html?rID=2634

 

Thank you, everyone, for your various responses.

The platter belonged in turn to my Great Grandfather, Grandmother, and Mother. My mother was born in the first quarter of the 20th C so it is entirely possible that the platter was acquired by my Great Grandfather during the 19th C.

 

Hello Silver,

I inherited a number of Canton blue & white export items (plates, platters, etc.), but don't know much about them so your questions and the replies were most helpful.

Further question for you all: is there a market for these items today, either in the U.S. or in Europe? Thanks for any input.

Ursula Scott