A great example of Chinese export made for the European market, this 8 1/2″ plate is hand-painted in iron red with gilded detail with a central scene of the Baptism of Christ within a abundant fruit border meant to signify plenty interspersed with some rather Chinese-looking cherubs, two bearing a banner inscribed Mat 3:16 referring to the Biblical verse being illustrated.  Most likely taken from an engraving of the period, in very good condition and dating to circa 1725. Illustrated and discussed in Howard and Ayers’ China for the West, page 316 where they speculate that these wares were possibly made for for use in China and Japan as a starting point for conversion and incidentally exported to Europe as either a curiosity or an example of the missionary work being done there.