Famille Rose Medallion Chinese porcelain plate, Qing dynasty 1654-1796, certified Rose Medallion, the most popular form of famille rose, with decorations that are divided into panels. Diameter: 9.62 inches = 24.5 cm; Weight: 470 g = 1 lb. 6 oz. Condition: used, but no defects; Microscopic photos at x50 magnification proves the age of 200-300 years old, by showing variety of microbubbles of gas. Provenance: private collection in Clearwater, Florida, USA Exhibit in the Portland Museum of Art - Portland, Maine, USA. [1] Famille rose (French for "pink family") is a style of decoration in Chinese porcelain introduced in the 18th century and defined by pink overglaze enamel as the dominant colour. It is a Western classification for Qing dynasty porcelain known in Chinese by various terms: fencai, ruancai, yangcai, and falangcai.[1] The colour palette is thought to have been brought to China during the reign of Kangxi (1654–1722) by Western Jesuits who worked at the palace, but perfected only in the Yongzheng era when the finest pieces were made, and famille rose ware reached the peak of its technical excellence during the Qianlong period.[2] Many decorative patterns are used in famille rose porcelain, sometimes with decorations requested by the buyers. Some popular types of decorative patterns in these export wares have been given specific names: Rose Canton, Rose Mandarin and Rose Medallion.[16] Rose Medallion is the most popular type of famille rose porcelain.[17] Rose Medallion typically has panels or medallion of flowers and/or bird alternating with panels of human figures around a central medallion. Rose Canton contains no human figures, in contrast to Rose Mandarin which shows Chinese figures.[18] Most of these famille rose pieces are from the 19th century; the older famille rose pieces tend to be heavier, have a grayer glaze and a more subtle pink. Famille rose porcelain from the 18th century can have a green tint, a brown rim, and may be pitted with many pinholes.[17]