Chinese plate pattern

[Shelley]

Hello,

I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I have attached a picture of a plate i have and I wondered if anyone knows if it has a name. I have various pieces in different colour ways. Green, yellow and pink. I also have tried translating the 4 characters and I think it looseley translates as 10,000, long life, buddah and one I get as Borders. Not sure what this may all mean, 10,000 years of long life? Thank you for help. Shelley

P.S. Just tried and failed to add picture, how do you add a picture?

[skylee]

I guess it is 萬壽無疆 (traditional script) / 万寿无疆 (simplified script) -> meaning ; meaning

PS - To add pictures, click the "use full editor" button below the "fast reply" box, and then press the "click to attach files" button below the reply box.

[Shelley]

This should be the picture.

oh still no picture. :mellow:

[Shelley]

This might work.http://www.flickr.com/photos/mskettu/4916093129/

this a picture of the pattern. Wondered if it had name.Shelley

[jbradfor]

So I'm confused. The characters are exactly as skylee guessed. What exactly are you asking?

[Shelley]

What I wanted to know was, is there a name for this pattern.(not the characters) but the overall design. The blue and white pattern is known as Willow pattern and there is another common pattern called Rice pattern. The design usually has a name.

Hope this clears up the confusion.

And thanks for your help

Shelley

[jhankri]

Shelley, In answer to your question, I don't know if this common pattern has a name. This type decoration originated in the Qing during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The background with its numerous small cloud shapes is a variant of what is sometimes called "sgraffitto" decoration in the West. The motifs used on the plate include large stylized lotus blossoms, and bats which as you may already know are a common symbol for happiness, due to the name for bat and the word for happiness having the same sound in Chinese (fu). The bottom of factory produced pieces such as this usually have a five character stamped mark on the bottom, along with a Western number. The mark reads something like "Jingdezhen made China". The numeral refers to the factory that produced the piece. The old city of Jingdezhen is known for the production of high quality porcelain and was the site of the Imperial kilns in the old days. Hope this is of some help.