A pair of Chinese 'Magic square' plates for the Islamic market, Qianlong

Dia.: 20,4 cm

Ref.:
- Bonhams, London, October 23, 2018, lot 57, for a nearly identical (single) example. (sold GBP 3.500) (link)
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, registration number 1944-1855, for a comparable example. (link)
- The Canterbury Museum, registration number 2001.1.283, for a comparable example. (link)
- 'China for the West', Volume II, by David Howard and John Ayers, p. 470, no. 480 for a very similar example.

These "magic square" plates for the Islamic market are often decorated with Arabic numerals and Koranic verses, believed to have healing properties and used as charms. These items, dating back to the ninth century, were popular in Islamic regions like India, Malaya, and Indonesia. The squares, made up of four-by-four grids, consistently add up to the same number in any direction. Such porcelain was particularly valued for aiding in childbirth and warding off sickness, though the calligraphy was often inaccurate due to the Chinese painters' unfamiliarity with Arabic script.

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