This lavishly decorated plate is from one of the most elaborate armorial services ever made for in China for the British market. It shows the arms of Leake Okeover (1702-65), proper left, impaling the arms of his wife, Mary Nichols (d. 1764). The monogram of the couple, LMO, and crest are interspersed with floral sprays on the rim. The design displays the full range of colours available to Chinese artisans at that time. The complex floral scrolls, somber tones, and leaping horses lend it a baroque flavour. The design is based on a painted pattern sent to China for reproduction in 1738. Two services were produced, one in 1740 and the other 1743. This charger is from the first order.
