Chinese blue and white ‘Riot of Rotterdam’ plate, Kangxi (1662-1722)
Chinese blue and white ‘Riot of Rotterdam’ plate, Kangxi (1662-1722)
POA
Description
Chinese blue and white ‘Riot of Rotterdam’ plate, Kangxi (1662-1722), depicting a scene of the Kosterman uprising of 1690; the central roundel with figures climbing up a ladder in order to demolish a Dutch row-house, with a crowd gathered near two cannons, the rim with four floral cartouches against a diaper ground, the reverse with scrolling lotus and sauvastika motif to the rim, the base with apocryphal Chenghua six-character mark.
Dimensions:
Diameter: 20cm. (7 7/8in.)
Notes:
The riot was sparked by the brutal execution of a city guard called Cornelis Kosterman after he was sentenced to death for accidentally killing a man while smuggling wine into the city hall to enjoy with his fellow guards, and culminated in the destruction of the Chief Bailiff’s house by a mob. The design was copied from a silver medal struck by Jan Smeltzing (1656-93) after an engraving by Gerard van Loon to commemorate the riots. It is widely assumed that an order for the production came soon after the actual events in 1690. For examples of these plates in the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art see Beurdeley (1974). Porcelain of the East India Companies. London. p.189 (cat. 170) and Le Corbellier (1974) China Trade Porcelain. p.31. pl.12. For more information see Howard and Ayers (1978). China for the West, Sotheby Parke Bernet (vol. 1) p.60, pl.15. Please note that these plates are being faked. If you come across other examples please compare them with those listed on our website; a search for ‘riot’ will bring up a number of examples.
| item details | |
|---|---|
| Material and Technique | Porcelain decorated with underglaze cobalt blue |
| Origin | Chinese |
| Diameter | 20cm. (7 7/8in.) |
Product REF: W900
