Chinese Armorial Porcelain Plate Arms Trelawny Sermoni Consona Facta Qing C.1755

Chinese Armorial Porcelain Plate Arms Trelawny Sermoni Consona Facta Qing C.1755

ITEM DETAILS

Inventory Code: INV5287

Object: Armorial plate

Material: Porcelain

Origin: China

Period: Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period

Date: Circa 1755

Decoration: Trelawny family crest with wolf passant proper, motto “Sermoni Consona Facta”, turquoise foliage, gilt details and shaped rim

Mark: Unmarked

MEASUREMENTS

Diameter: 9.1 in / 23.0 cm

Height: 1.0 in / 2.5 cm

CONDITION

FAIR/RESTORED (2/5) – Restored condition with extensive hairlines and cracks visible across the plate, including an old metal staple repair, together with minor rim, enamel and gilt wear consistent with age. Please review the photos carefully for more details.

DESCRIPTION

Chinese export porcelain armorial plate dating to the Qianlong period, circa 1755. The shaped plate bears the crest of the Trelawny family, described in the documented service as “A wolf passant proper”, above the family motto “Sermoni Consona Facta”. The crest and pink ribbon are complemented by turquoise leafy branches, small gilt details and a formal gilt inner border. This pattern is documented as the Trelawny service, P25, in Chinese Armorial Porcelain reference literature and is dated circa 1755. The pale ground, restrained enamelling and distinctive heraldic decoration give the plate considerable historical and decorative interest.

COLLECTOR’S NOTE

The Trelawny family originated at Trelawny in Cornwall and is recorded there from the Conquest. John Trelawny was created a baronet in 1628, and the family subsequently produced prominent churchmen, politicians and colonial administrators. Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 3rd Baronet, became Bishop of Bristol in 1685 and was one of the Seven Bishops committed to the Tower during the reign of James II. The documented circa 1755 Chinese armorial service is associated with the Trelawny family and carries their crest and motto, “Sermoni Consona Facta”, translated in the reference as “There’s 20,000 Cornishmen will know the reason why.”

NOTES

Reference information and comparative illustration are from the photographed armorial porcelain reference entry P25, Trelawny, dated Ch’ien Lung circa 1755. Please review all photos carefully as they form part of the description.