A Chelsea blue and white plate and its origins

摘要

This blue and white plate (1) was made by Chelsea in about 1754. It is not a direct copy of a Meissen original. Aspects of the plate do have a Meissen appearance; the reverse with its blue anchor is surrounded by a blue circle with three further circles on the reverse of the edge. This is similar to the reverse of Meissen blue and white wares, and in turn the Meissen has echoes of the blue circles surrounding the marks on many pieces of porcelain made in China in the reign of the Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722).