A blue and white plate depicting the "Rotterdam Riots"

Kangxi period, ca. 1700, China

A fine Chine de commande plate, the earliest known example of a European historical/political event depicted on Chinese porcelain. The scene depicted is that of the so called "Costerman revolt", the plundering of the house of Jacob van Zuylen. A six character Chengua mark on the reverse. For a similar plate see “Collecting Chinese Export Porcelain” by Elinor Gordon, Page 56, Item No 42 and The Collection of The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Ref: C1358 – 1924. This plate is also in the collection of the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam (object number AK-RBK-1953-63) and is described in: Supplement to Chinese ceramics in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: the Ming and Qing dynasties, p. 28, cat.nr. 288.

D 20,3 cm

"Rotterdam Riot" plates were noted in François and Nicole Hervouët and Yves Bruneau, La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes à Décor Occidental, Paris, 1986, cat. no. 9.35, as the earliest example of Chinese export porcelain documented with European historical and political subjects. The riots occurred in Rotterdam between September and October 1690 after a young guard, Cornelius Kosterman, accidentally killed a man while smuggling wine into the city hall to celebrate with his colleagues. Kosterman was sentenced to death by then Chief Baliff Jacob van Zuylen van Nyevelt. The public was enraged by the injustice and riots ensued. The source of the subject matter comes from a popular medal stuck by Dutch medalist Johannes Smeltzig (1656-93) after an engraving by G. van Loon.

Good condition: no chips, no hairlines and no restoration.