A rare Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated South Sea Bubble plate early 18th century

A rare Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated South Sea Bubble plate early 18th century, the original left in the white, later-decorated in Holland with sprays of flowers and a small bug, further enamelled c.1720 with a gentleman letting money fall from his outstretched hands, wearing a resigned expression, above the Dutch inscription 'Par iu al myn acties quijt' (By God, all my shares lost), inscribed '1720' to the grass beneath his feet, 22cm.

Provenance: the Helen Espir Collection, no. 905. Purchased from R & G McPherson, December 2006.

When a system of paper money, not based on gold stocks, was introduced by John Law in 1720 it led to a rush of speculation and investment in companies such as the South Sea Company. When the massively inflated bubble burst later that year it ruined many investors, whose greed was parodied in a series of prints and poems at the time. The figure on this plate derives from that on a pack of playing cards published in Amsterdam in 1720. Cf. European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain, p.155 for a print of all the cards. The two of clubs on the pack of playing cards provides the subject depicted on the plate.