Chinese Porcelain Bowl Dish Blue White Export Diana Ship Wreck Cargo Qing 1817

Chinese Porcelain Bowl Dish Blue White Export Diana Ship Wreck Cargo Qing 1817

ITEM DETAILS

Inventory Code: INV5515

Object: Large Bowl / Deep Dish

Material: Blue and White Porcelain

Origin: China

Period: Qing Dynasty – Jiaqing

Date: Early 19th Century, circa 1817

Decoration: Underglaze blue starburst floral medallions with radiating lines, spiral scrolls and repeating geometric patterns

Mark: Unmarked

Provenance: Diana shipwreck cargo, recovered in 1994

MEASUREMENTS

Diameter: 10.63 in / 27.0 cm

Height: 1.97 in / 5.0 cm

CONDITION

FAIR (3/5) – Visible hairline crack extending inward from the rim, with an associated small rim chip and glaze loss. Additional minor rim fritting, surface scratches, scattered firing imperfections and age-related discolouration. The underside shows surface wear, staining and a small area of discoloured cracking or glaze damage within the recessed base. Please review the photos carefully for more details.

DESCRIPTION

An attractive Chinese Qing Dynasty blue and white porcelain deep dish, dating to the early 19th century, circa 1817, and attributed to the famous Diana shipwreck cargo. The interior is extensively decorated in the distinctive starburst pattern, featuring circular floral medallions surrounded by finely painted radiating blue lines. Repeating spiral scrolls and flowing geometric motifs fill the surrounding areas, creating a dense and striking composition. The broad, gently curved sides rise to a rounded rim, while the exterior is finished in a pale blue-white glaze with simple underglaze blue concentric lines. The underside features an unglazed recessed base within a circular footring, displaying natural wear and firing characteristics. A decorative example of Chinese export porcelain associated with early 19th-century maritime trade.

COLLECTOR’S NOTE

The Diana was a British East India trade vessel that sank in the Strait of Malacca on 14 March 1817 while carrying a substantial cargo of Chinese export porcelain. The wreck was discovered and salvaged in 1994, with recovered ceramics subsequently offered at Christie’s Amsterdam in 1995. The distinctive blue and white starburst pattern is associated with porcelain recovered from this historic wreck. Such pieces are collected for their decorative qualities and connection to maritime archaeology and the China trade. This example is attributed to the Diana cargo based on its pattern and supplied history, although original Christie’s auction documentation has not been independently verified.

NOTES

Please review all photos carefully as they form part of the description.