A brilliant example of the Yongzheng potter’s and painter’s masterful skills, this fine eggshell porcelain 8 1/4″ soup plate is elaborately hand-painted with a central scene of two cockerels upon rockwork with stems of peonies, the rim bordered with a soft pink cellwork ground with reserves of lotus and prunus and roundels of dragons. The imagery seems to have been popular, appearing on dinner and tea wares – the rooster being a symbolism of strength and punctuality, and the peony a symbol of wealth and nobility and the Famille Rose palette of enamels had only been recently developed, but it is evident here how quickly it was mastered. There appears to be a piece out of the rim, going down into the cavetto, but with the expert restoration it is very difficult to ascertain as the piece came to us in this condition – but the painting remains a superb example of class Yongzheng painting.  Circa 1730.