Cantonese is an ethnic group associated with the southern provinces of China, including the historical European-influenced colonies of Hong Kong and Macau.
While originating in Canton/Guangzhou, they were best known for their dispersal around South-East Asia, often as merchants in places like Hong Kong. They brought their distinct culture with them, including porcelain, enamels, and textiles, and this material culture is know as ‘Cantonese’.
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As merchants, Cantonese traders were ready to interact with the Westerners who came looking for luxury goods from China. These interactions took place at specified trading ports, and Canton/Guangzhou was a major one – and so, the goods that came out of the port were known as ‘Cantonese’.
Ceramics were a major commodity, and were ordered from the main kilns of China such as those in Jingdezhen. ‘Cantonese Ceramics’ are therefore another type of ‘Chinese Export’. As there is a lot of the pink enamels, we could call it a type of ‘Famillie Rose’, a development of the style of Chinese porcelain popular in Europe in the 18th century.
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American retailers and collectors use the term ‘Rose Medallion’ to describe the most common pattern found, which features a distinct peony flower in a roundel, often with a bird.
Dating is somewhat a problem, as it was made over a long period – beginning in the mid 19th century and going into the late 20th century.
A good idea of age can be inferred by the delicacy of the work; the later the piece, the ‘looser’ the painting. The gold also changes in the early 20th century to a bright harsh gold.
A dated piece in the Rosenberg Collection, Geelong, is a good indication of the earlier style, with a crest hidden beneath. This is the crest of the Mackintosh clan, with a rearing cat and the motto ‘PRENEY GARDE’ – and the date 1869. (as it is unlikely for a family crest to be placed where it isn’t seen, this crest must surely be a case of ‘lost in translation’, where an order from Scotland for a service with the Mackintosh crest was sent through, with a sample of the crest – being in a roundel, perfect for substituting for the usual peony in a roundel. Imagine their surprise when the recieved their service a few years later – with the crest beneath the piece instead!)
For a plate from this ‘mistaken’ order, see Christies 2009 sale of the Hodroff Collection