AN EXTREMELY RARE 'CHINESE-INSCRIBED' DOCUMENTARY CONTINENTAL ARMORIAL PLATE Dated 35th year (Qianlong) corresponding to 1771 and signed 'Yang Bingguan Hua' (painted by Yang Bingguan) The plate of European silver shape, the lobed wavy-rimmed hexagonal plate painted at the center, primarily in green, yellow and iron-red enamels with light touches of famille rose enamels, with a large un-identified continental coat-of-arms with a rocaille surround with two lions rampant and a nine-pointed coronet, all above three gilt Chinese characters, Jia Jian Di, perhaps a transliteration of a European name or title, the reverse side plain except for the eight-character gilt inscription with the date and artist name. 9 3/8in (23.7cm) diam Footnotes: 乾隆三十五年 珍稀紀年五彩加粉彩描金盾徽紋盤 《三十五年 楊丙觀畫》款 Published: Cohen & Cohen, Think Pink!, Antwerp, 2013, p. 22, no. 12 (1 of 2) 出版： 倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，《Think Pink!》，安特衛普，2013年，頁22，圖版編號12（二件之一） The arms are unidentified but may be French. The signed and dated gilt eight-character inscription to the reverse naming the artist Yang Bingguan is highly unusual, as are the three-characters below the arms, which is most likely a transliteration of a Western family name or title. Yang Bingguan (Pinqua, before 1747-1795), also known as Yang Cengong, is recorded as a porcelain dealer with over thirty-five years' experience who was appointed a Canton and Macao Hong merchant in 1782. The present lot was produced before the appointment, when he was running his firm Longhe Hang doing business with the European, such as the Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Spanish and British. His business continued after that appointment, reaching a peak around 1786-1789. However, the increase in revenues did not translate into the increase in profits; the heavy debts led to his bankruptcy in 1792. In 1793, Pinqua was arrested, and his properties were confiscated. In 1795, he was reported passed away while in custody at a Mandarin's house in Canton. (Paul A. Van Dyke, 'Yang Pingqua: Merchant of Canton and Macao 1747-1795,' in Review of Culture no. 62, 2020, pp. 62-89.) The second ship to sail directly to China from America was the Grand Turk from Salem. The ship was owned by Elias Hasket Derby (1739-1799). The ships officers were presented a souvenir punchbowl by the Hong merchant Pinqua, decorated with a ship and a banner containing the legend 'Ship Grand Turk / at Canton / 1786'. Derby's son Elias Hasket Derby, Jr. (1766-1826) donated the bowl in 1800-1801 to the East India Marine Society, the forerunner of the Peabody Essex Museum. [Sargent 2012, no. 218, 401-401] Reference: Howard, 2003, p. 598, a dinner plate with the arms of Drummond impaling Fane, circa 1793, also inscribed with Chinese characters to the reverse.