Lot 53

A massive and rare Chinese porcelain charger, centrally decorated in famille verte and iron red enamels with a river landscape scene depicting two figures in a typical Chinese house and figures along the waterside watching a dragon boat cross the river, the central scene enclosed by an eight-foil border in iron red, the cavetto in powder blue with gilt decoration of the 'Hundred antiquities', the reverse with floral sprays in famille verte and iron red, symbol within a double blue ring to the base. A charger with a different central scene but with identical eight-foil border and cavetto was in the Leonard Gow collection and illustrated in his catalogue: R.L. Hobson, 'Catalogue of the Leonard Gow Collection of Chinese Porcelain', George W. Jones at the Sign of the Dolphin, 1931, Page 68-69, number 239. Interestingly, the green enamels on this dish and the one in the Leonard Gow collection seem a touch burnt, indicating that the dishes were most likely fired together. China, Kangxi period (1662-1722) -D. 53 cm, old restoration to the top right section, rubbing to the gilt decoration, hairline crack-