Antique Chinese Painted Enamel Dish Butterfly Flowers Qing c1780-1820

Antique Chinese painted enamel on copper dish, Qing Dynasty, probably late 18th to early 19th century, circa 1780–1820.

A charming early Chinese enamel dish decorated with a large butterfly amongst flowering and fruiting branches against a rich cobalt-blue ground.

The reverse is finished in characteristic turquoise enamel with a separately formed exposed copper foot rim. Traces of an old iron-red painted mark or inscription remain to the underside, although unfortunately it is too worn to read with certainty.

The dish is extremely lightly constructed, weighing approximately 38g, with a thin copper body beneath the enamel.

Approximate dimensions:

* Diameter: 9.5 cm
* Height: 2 cm
* Weight: 38 g

Condition:
This is a genuinely old and fragile piece and has considerable age-related damage. There is extensive crazing and cracking to the enamel, areas of enamel loss and lifting, exposed copper, surface wear and a significant damaged/cracked area towards the rim. Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Despite the condition, it remains an attractive survivor and a fascinating example of early Chinese painted enamel work.

Dating: The construction, thin copper body, enamel technique, palette and decorative style are consistent with Chinese painted enamel of the late 18th to early 19th century. Traces of an old iron-red mark or inscription remain to the underside, although this is now too incomplete to identify confidently. It is therefore conservatively described as circa 1780–1820 rather than attributed to a particular Qing reign.