Chinese Export Plate with a Portrait of Martin Luther, c. 1745

Chinese Export porcelain plate painted en grisaille with a portrait of Martin Luther flanked by two cherubs with feathered bodies, over a cartouche depicting Christ preaching to the Twelve Apostles, the elaborate border in the Viennese du Paquier style with six cartouche painted with animals.

Martin Luther (1483-1546), one of the most influential religious leaders in history, is generally credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation in 1517 with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses. The central design was taken from an engraving by the Dutch artist Frans Brun (active 1627-1648) that was published in a Dutch Lutheran Bible in 1648. There are at least three different borders recorded for this well documented plate. David Howard hypothesizes that it was intended to commemorate the bicentennial of Luther's death.

See:
David Sanctuary Howard and John Ayers, "China for the West : Chinese Porcelain & Other Decorative Arts for Export Illustrated from the Mottahedeh Collection" (New York and London: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1978) vol 1, p.254.

Francois Hervouet, et al. "La Porcelaine Des Compagnies Des Indes, a Decor Occidental" (Paris: Flammarion, 1986) p. 272.

Regina Krahl and Jessica Harrison-Hall "Ancient Chinese Trade Ceramics from the British Museum" (Republic of China: Chen Kang-Shuen, 1994) pp 120-121.

Thomas V. Litzenburg "Chinese Export Porcelain in the Reeves Center Collection at Washington and Lee University" (London: Third Millennium Pub., 2003) p.199.