Qianlong (1736-1738) plate with fresh and vibrant colors.
It was decorated in polychrome enamels with a lady beside the water’s edge with reeds. She is gesturing towards three birds on the ground in front of her and her maid holding an ornate parasol. A garland is shown on the sides of the dish. A honeycomb pattern in four rows on the rim. Four large cartouches with birds are repeated from the central scene, with four small cartouches with ladies. Eight insects in iron red are on the back of the rim. The Rijksmuseum has smaller versions in its collection.
In 1734, the directors of the VOC commissioned the Amsterdam artist Cornelis Pronk (1691-1759) to make a set of drawings for the decoration of Chinese porcelain.
In all, he made four different designs for the VOC, the first being this chinoiserie which is generally called ‘The parasol Lady’.
