This French porcelain plate was made in the second half of the 19th century and is beautifully hand painted in the style of early 18th-century Chinese export porcelain.
At the center are the paired arms of Louis-Auguste d’Albert d’Ailly, duc de Chaulnes, and his wife, Marie-Anne-Romaine de Beaumanoir de Lavardin. The shields appear beneath a ducal coronet and are surrounded by elaborate heraldic insignia.
The plate reproduces the Chinese armorial service made for the couple circa 1725 during the Yongzheng period.
The armorial is deliberately kept relatively small, surrounded by a broad expanse of white porcelain scattered with tiny blue and green sprigs.
This open center provides an effective contrast to the richly worked inner border, painted with dense iron-red scrollwork, gilt details, touches of cobalt blue, and shaped reserves containing small Chinese motifs.
The wide outer border is especially appealing.
Colorful flowering sprays are arranged around the rim together with ornamental vessels and stylized Chinese motifs.
Cobalt blue, iron red, green, turquoise, aubergine, and gold stand out beautifully against the clear white porcelain ground.
The decoration is detailed and richly colored. Generous areas of white keep the overall effect fresh and lively.
Particularly interesting is the combination of European heraldry with Chinese decorative motifs.
The French decorators reproduced a specific documented armorial service commissioned approximately 150 years earlier, preserving its distinctive combination of aristocratic European heraldry and Chinese ornament.
The reverse bears an iron-red pseudo-Chinese mark, further reflecting the deliberate reference to the 18th-century Chinese original.
Dimensions: 9 inches diameter
Condition: Excellent
Origin: France
Date: Second half of the 19th century
Material: Porcelain
Decoration: Hand painted
Mark: Iron-red pseudo-Chinese mark on the reverse