Imari plate with peony pattern

Round plate covered with a thin layer of tin glaze. The background is decorated with floral morifs composed of an "oriental" root with two peonies, one painted in red and gold and the other in blue and gold. Four flower stems are represented in the brim, while the flounce is adorned with a timber-frame band in which large flowers are set. The three-colour of the plate is common among Chinese porcelains transported by the East India Company cargo ships to the European market in the mid-18th century. In Milan, the Pasquale Rubati manufacture, like the Clerici manufacture, took up various types of these popular three-colour process, imitating Chinese porcelain.