A pair of Chinese famille rose 'Pronk studio' plates and a pair of saucers with floral design, Qianlong

Dia.: 19,5 - 9 cm

This apparently Chinese design clearly derives from 'The Four Doctors', the second design by Cornelis Pronk, which has a very similar border but with more elaborate details. Most possibly, the interest caused in Canton by Pronk border designs prompted a Chinese workshop to produce a similar effect at much lower cost, using patterns with which it was more familiar, for Dutch supercargoes or private traders of other countries.

Ref.:

- A saucer dish of this pattern is illustrated by David Howard in 'The choice of the private trader: The private market in Chinese export porcelain illustrated in the Hodroff Collection', London, 1994, p. 81.