Monochrome plate

[Pablo82]

Hi Peter and Stan,
I'd need your opinion on this plate. I'd have the opportunity to buy it for a good price, but I have the suspect it is not old. Thank you for your help!

[Pablo82]

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[Pablo82]

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[peterp]

Is the foot rim slanted inward?  Due to the angle the picture was taken it is not visible. The bottom looks as if it could be Qing dynasty, but with monochromes the glaze itself is more important for dating than with polychromes. If the blue color shows spattering from spraying, it is likely older.
Please be aware that (1) many such items would have been decorated with gilt designs, meaning it could be unfinished, and (2), that the Japanese also made such plates.
The foot rim does not quite look like one from the 18th century, made in Jingdezhen. And the sand bottom would be unusual for the 19th century. Most monochrome plates of the Qing dynasty I have seen had a glazed bottom.

[Pablo82]

Thank you Peter for your, as always, valuable teaches.
Since the price was low, I bought the plate despite my doubts about the age, so now I can post more detailed images. The foot rim is slanted mainly outward. The Blue color looks uniform at a first glance, but more closely it appears quite spotted, as you can see in the lighter band near the rim. Beautiful glaze and color. Could It be late Qing?

[Pablo82]

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[peterp]

Try to get closeup shots with good resolution of the blue glaze and the bottom, showing any defects or inclusions clearly, please. But be aware that it may not be possible to identify it right away. I have not much experience with such monochromes. Mostly we use the bottom for identification, but this is different with this one. It would be a good idea to have someone near you do a hands-on inspection. This allows viewing the glaze and checking weight, ring, etc. too.

[Pablo82]

Thank you Peter. I can't take better images with my cellphone,  I'm afraid. Diam. 29 cm; weight 1160 grams.

[Pablo82]

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[Pablo82]

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[Pablo82]

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[peterp]

It might be late Qing (or republic), judging by the unglazed foot and rim. (If the bottom was glazed I would think it might be Japanese, with that type of foot rim, but this way it is likely Chinese.) But again, a hands-on inspection would be necessary to make sure regarding the glaze and bubbles. Is the white outer rim glazed, or was it ground down? Are there any traces of onglaze painting (mainly gilt) that may have disappeared or been removed? Plain blue items were originally used for ritual (ceremonial) purposes.

[Pablo82]

Magnifier shows that the white outer rim is not glazed. The glaze covers only the blue and stops precisely where the color ends, whitout any shaving. I cannot see any traces of onglaze painting. Bubbles are of different sizes, the bigger ones appear in the colored area. Could it be a copy of a Ming ritual monochrome plate?

[peterp]

We will have to leave it at that, until something similar comes around...

If there is not even a transparent glaze on the outer rim it simply means it was probably ground down. Usually only Song dynasty pieces do have unglazed outer rims, due to the practice of firing bowls and plates upside down.
The reason the rim is ground down in later items is usually that there was damage that was rendered invisible this way.

[Pablo82]

Peter, thank you very much indeed for your in-depth analysis. When I get back my Reflex camera with macro lens I will take better images, mainly of the outer foot rim. With the magnifier I see a sort of rounded casting margin where the blue glaze ends. In each porcelain with a foot rim that I own the margin looks ground down, but in this case it is different. I'll try to follow the paths you introduced me to and If I find something I'll post it.