A large and rare Chinese blue and white 'Baptism of Christ' dish 18th century

A large and rare Chinese blue and white 'Baptism of Christ' dish 18th century, painted to the centre with Christ as a young man with John the Baptist, standing at the water's edge and flanked by leafy trees and beneath the holy Ghost represented as an ascending angel, all within borders of cell diaper with landscape reserves and a wide band of cherubs amidst fruit and flowers and with a fabulous bird, the inscription 'Mat 3.16.', 45cm.

Cf. D Howard and J Ayers, China for the West, no.306, where a slightly larger dish is illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection, dated to c.1725, and where it is noted that 'it is possible that this ware was first designed for use in China and Japan, and only incidentally exported to Europe as a curiosity (and perhaps of evidence of the missionary work being done).

十八世紀  青花天主教洗禮圖大盤