A WINTER PLAQUE, PORCELAIN, 1903

China, cyclical dating guimao (1903).  Painted in vivid Famille Rose enamels with plum blossoms, the symbol for winter, and a pair of swallows on a branch.  Three-line poem in black ink and one seal. 

Provenance: A German private collection.  Acquired between 1960 and 1970 in China.  Thence by descent.  Impressed seal to backside. Condition: Good condition with some wear and minimal firing flaws. 

Weight: 1500 grams. 
Dimensions: 38 x 25 cm. 

Plum blossom (meihua), as the first flower to bloom each year, stands for renewal and is emblematic of perseverance and purity.  Its appearance, while the weather is still cold, makes it the flower of winter.  The five petals of the plum blossom are auspicious since the number five is sacred in China.