Set of four Chinese famille rose plates ca. 1900 with wooden wheelchair

Description

Gorgeous set of late-Qing famille rose plates ca. 1900, featuring a rarer court scene in which a servant pushes a wooden wheelchair - a detail that will instantly make your collector's heart beat faster. The sophisticated painting shows elegant figures under a swaying willow, an accompanying horse and soft pastel colours so characteristic of quality workshops around 1900.

Although family rose figure porcelain from this period is more common, this very composition - completely identical across four plates and with a clearly identifiable wooden wheelchair - is considerably more attractive within the decorative Qing segment. As a set, they form a strong, harmonious ensemble that immediately appeals to collectors and interior buyers alike.

Origin & meaning
All four plates bear a red stamped apocryphal Tongzhi mark (‘Tongzhi nian zhi’), typical of quality production around 1890-1910. The court scene with servants, horse and the distinctive wooden wheelchair refers to refined daily life during the last decades of the Qing dynasty. The presence of such a wheelchair is iconographically less common and enhances its collector's value.

Dimensions & condition
Diameter 13.5 cm - height 2.5 cm.
Condition: in excellent condition with no chips, hairlines or restorations. The gilt edges are remarkably well preserved - exceptional for plates of this age.