This 'famille noire' dish is painted with polychrome enamels against a black ground. Famille noire (literally, 'black family') is a French term used to classify Chinese porcelain with a black enamel background. Here, black dots and lines are applied to outline the birds and plants. Other enamels include green, white and yellow. A six-character, square Guangxu reign mark, a tribute to the imperial ancestors, and which adds more value to the piece, can been seen the base. Famille noire porcelain was first produced during the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and became popular during the 18th and19th centuries.
