This plate is in mint condition as it was never put on display. It's been in the original shipping box since purchase in 1987.

This sale contains all documents that were shipped with the plate as well as the Bradford Exchanges original promotional material on the product. Included is the original sales letter, informational sheet containing images of the use of coal fired kilns, a full color brochure telling the story of the plate and the artist plus the promo letter of Gunars Mencis (the man in china) to John R MacArthur, Chairman of Bradford Exchange.

Pao-chai is the first plate in the Beauties of the Red Mansion collection of limited-edition plates by Master Artisan Zhao Huimin.

Produced by Imperial Jingdezhen Porcelain in the People’s Republic of China and depicting Hsueh Pao-chai, one of the many beautiful heroines in China’s greatest romantic novel, A Dream of Red Mansions. 

Zhao Huimin was born in 1919 into a desperately poor home.  Knowing at an early age he wanted to become an artist, but having no money for lessons, Zhao worked very hard to teach himself to paint.  As his talent increased with maturity, in 1958 he was awarded the title of Porcelain Painter in Jingdezhen, and in 1983 he was acclaimed as Master Artisan.  Examples of his work are to be found in collections all over the world.

“Pao-chai"
Diameter 8 ½ inches