RARE CHINESE EXPORT ARMORIAL PORCELAIN PLATE, DATED QIANLONG 35TH YEAR (1771) RARE MUSEUM QUALITY 'CHINESE-INSCRIBED' DOCUMENTARY CHINESE EXPORT ARMORIAL PORCELAIN PLATE, DATED QIANLONG 35TH YEAR (1771) An exceptionally rare and historically significant piece of Chinese Export porcelain made for the European market during the height of the Canton Trade. This finely potted lobed plate is decorated in famille rose enamels with a Continental coat of arms supported by two lions rampant beneath a nine-pointed coronet. The restrained heraldic composition is enhanced by elegant rocaille ornament and retains its refined original gilding. The reverse bears an eight-character gilt inscription reading: 三十五年 楊丙觀畫 "Painted by Yang Bingguan, Thirty-fifth Year." The inscription dates the plate to the 35th year of the Qianlong Emperor (1771) and attributes its decoration to Yang Bingguan (Pinqua), one of the very few documented Canton porcelain merchants associated with luxury export commissions. Signed and dated examples of this type are exceptionally scarce and occupy a special place within the study of Chinese export porcelain. Rather than simply being an armorial plate, this is a remarkable documentary object illustrating the close collaboration between European patrons and Chinese workshops during the eighteenth century. The coat of arms, European silver-inspired form, Chinese inscription, and Canton enamelling together embody the artistic and commercial dialogue that flourished through the maritime trade between China and the West. Unlike the vast majority of Chinese export armorial porcelain, which can only be approximately dated through stylistic analysis, this example preserves a contemporary inscription recording both its date of decoration and the workshop attribution, making it one of the most desirable categories of Chinese export porcelain for advanced collectors. PROVENANCE This exceptional plate originates from an important private collection of Chinese porcelain, carefully assembled over many years and formerly housed in a distinguished Lisbon residence. It was subsequently passed into the care of the collector’s family and brought to the market. AUTHENTICITY The plate was examined in detail by a professional Chinese expert specialising in Chinese porcelain, who confirmed both its authenticity and its attribution to the stated period. CONDITION: Superb antique condition with brilliant original enamels. No repairs, cracks, or hairlines. The rim shows a few tiny, superficial frits, entirely commensurate with age. Please examine all photographs carefully as they form part of the description. DIMENSIONS: Diameter: 24 cm (9.45 in) Weight: 342 g REFERENCES: Cohen & Cohen, Think Pink!, Antwerp, 2013, p. 22, no. 12. Paul A. Van Dyke, Yang Pinqua: Merchant of Canton and Macao 1747–1795, Review of Culture, No. 62 (2020). Bonham's New York, 'Cohen & Cohen: 50 Years of Chinese Export Porcelain', 24 January 2023, lot 36 for an identical example. (sold USD 3.187,50) Sotheby’s New York, “Wolf Family Collection”, 24 April 2023, lot 1062 for an identical example. (sold USD 2.286,00) This plate is not merely an example of Chinese Export porcelain; it is a documented witness to the artistic and commercial dialogue between Qing China and Enlightenment Europe, preserving within a single object European heraldry, Chinese craftsmanship, and a rare contemporary inscription recording its creation. Professional custom packaging, shipped worldwide via UPS with full insurance and tracking.