A Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated plate 1st half 18th century

A Chinese porcelain Dutch-decorated plate 1st half 18th century, the rim lightly incised beneath a hatched border in underglaze blue, later-enamelled with a scene of Diana at her bath, the semi-naked goddess surprised at her ablutions while a winged putto washes her feet, decorated largely en grisaille apart from the flesh, within a border of six alternating panels of flower sprays and birds perched on flowering branches, 23.2cm.

Provenance: the Helen Espir Collection, no. 392. Purchased from Geoffrey Waters, April 1995.

Illustrated: Helen Espir, European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain, p.188, pl.43.

Cf. Francois et Nicole Hervouet, La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes à Décor Occidental, p.370 for a plate with a similar border, possibly derived from earlier Kraak porcelain.