A pair of Chinese export Armorial plates, circa 1733,
Auction: 28 June 2006 at 12:00 BST
Description
decorated with peonies and other flowers to the border, diaper pattern overlaid with six gilt rosettes, a further gilt spearhead border, the well with coat-of-arms 'Murus Aheneus'
Dimensions
35cm diameter
Footnote
The coat-of-arms is MacLeod quartering Man and MacKenzie impaling Straiton
Sir Norman Macleod of Bernera was Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment of Macleods at the battle of Worcester in 1651 and was knighted at the Restoration in 1660. His son Ian by Isabel MacKenzie had three sons William, John and Donald, 3rd of Bernera. This service was made for John who was an advocate in Edinburgh and who acquired the estate of Muiravenside in Linlithgow. He married Elizabeth Straiton and had one son who died without issue. The reference to MAN is because the Macleods claimed descent from Olaf, the Black King of Man and the Isles from 1225 - 1237.
Murus Aheneus means 'Brazen Wall'.
Howard: Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Vol I, E5, p242
This dinner service was amongst the first ten commissioned by a Scottish family from China.
Provenance; Stirling Maxwell Collection, Pollok House, Glasgow