Large fine Canton enamel lobed tray, Qianlong (1736-1795), c.1760, on four feet, decorated to the centre with a scene of an elegant pagoda garden with pine, flowering chrysanthemum and rockwork, in which two ladies, each with a baby, watch three children playing 'blind man's bluff', beside tables with vessels containing fruits and flowers, a rocky shoreline and distant mountains visible beyond, all enclosed by a narrow blue band with ruyi-head detail and a band of magenta foliate scroll against a pink ground; the eight lobes of the rim each with a cartouche framed by ornate blue scrollwork against a yellow ground and containing a variety of flowers and fruits, including wild rose, morning glory, squash, peony, buddha's hand fruit, pomegranate, chrysanthemum and magnolia, the reverse with a large central posy of roses, citrus and pomegranate, the rim with a continuous scrolling garland of foliage and flowers against a dark blue ground.
Dimensions:
Diameter: 48.6cm. (19 1/4in.)
Condition:
Some restoration; areas of cracks and enamel loss neatly restored
