Eight blue and white Monkey and Phoenix plates, Kangxi period, ca. 1700, China, The deep plates with molded swirling lobed borders after a European silverware protoype. The centres are occupied by a large flying phoenix amongst foliage and flowering peonies. The borders with alternating panels of florals and of a scene showing a monkey in a tree eating a peach. Marked with a flower within a double circle. D 21.5 cm, A similar plate is illustrated in 'Masterpieces of Chinese Export Porcelain: from the Mottahedeh Collection in the Virginia Museum' by David Howard and John Ayers, on page 35. Rim chips and fritting. One plate with a repaired section to the rim. The other seven plates with no hairlines or restoration.