Rare Chinese Porcelain Plate For The American Market, China Circa 1850

This rare Chinese export porcelain plate, 25 mm high and 140 mm in diameter, rests on a circular foot. The underglaze blue decoration shows a spread eagle, clutching two arrows to the right and two leafy branches to the left. Above its head, a difficult-to-decipher motto appears in reverse. The back, a pale celadon hue, is undecorated except for a square underglaze blue mark at the base. Intended for the American market, this piece may commemorate the incorporation of New Mexico into the United States in 1850. The eagle symbol echoes motifs found on flags, coins, and commemoratives of the period, also recalling the Mexican eagle with a leafy branch and the Napoleonic eagle. The style of the feathers, designed to imitate embroidery stitches, highlights a possible connection with patriotic needlework or flags of the 19th century. Pieces with similar decoration are listed in Chinese export collections. Notably, the Mottahedeh Collection describes a piece with similar decoration (Howard & Ayers 1978, vol. 2, p.512) as does J. McClure Mudge, in one of his books or Sotheby's (New York, 2000). China for the West. Chinese Porcelain and other Decorative Arts for Export illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection, (DS Howard & J. Ayers, Philip Wilson Publishers for Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, London 1978), vol. 2, p.512, cat. 521. Chinese export porcelain in North America, (J. McClure Mudge, New York 2000), p.217, cat. 367. Important Chinese Export Porcelain and Chinese works of art from the Collection of the late Mildred R. and Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, auction sale catalog 7520, Sotheby's New York, October 19, 2000, p.149, lot number 337.