{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O437104"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O437104/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CT0768/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CT0768/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CT0768","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O437104/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O437104","accessionNumber":"C.351-1931","objectType":"Plate","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Plate of porcelain, decorated with a European Coat of Arms of a fawn on a green and gold shield with cresting in red and white enamel. Border with gold floral pattern and medallions of pink and gold enclosing a fawn on a black and gold bar.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"porcelain","id":"AAT10662"}],"techniques":[{"text":"glazed","id":"AAT53914"},{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"gilt","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Porcelain painted in overglaze enamels and gilt","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Porcelain","id":"THES48907"}],"styles":[{"text":"Armorial","id":"AAT21425"},{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2009CT0768"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"137 (VA)","id":"THES49876"},"free":"","case":"13","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Plate","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Jingdezhen","id":"x32230"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1750","earliest":"1745-01-01","latest":"1754-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Mr W. G. Gulland","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"21.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"According to J. Kroes, Chinese Armorial Porcelain for the Dutch Market, pp.241–242, cat.no.153, the arms belong to the Rhenius family, whose members originated in northern Germany, particularly Strelitz in Holstein, Lübeck, and Berlin. Three brothers—Johannes Tobias Rhenius, Frederik Rhenius, and Christoffel Lodewijk Rhenius—migrated to the Cape Colony in the early eighteenth century, establishing a prominent military and administrative family line. The most likely commissioner of this armorial porcelain service (c.1735–1740) was Frederik Rhenius (1694–1754). Born in Strelitz, he began his military career at the Cape as a soldier in 1722 and rose steadily through the ranks: corporal (1723), master of the horse (1730), cornet (1735), commander (1747), and captain (1749). On 4 September 1735 he married Apollonia Africana Bergh (1686–), widow of Jan Aldersz. and sister of Engela Bergh, linking him to another prominent Cape family known for commissioning armorial porcelain. Although wealthy, Frederik and Apollonia had no children. A later member of the family, Johannes Isaac Rhenius (1750–1808)—grandson of Johannes Tobias—served as Governor of the Cape in 1791–1792, and is probably identical to the J.J. Rhenius who worked as assistant or clerk at the Canton factory between 1779 and 1784. Kroes records two distinct versions of the Rhenius arms: Argent, a salient roe or deer on a green base; crest an armoured arm with sword, borne by Johannes Isaac Rhenius as shown in a surviving drawing. The variant painted on this porcelain, with a gold field, a green base, and a fawn salient proper; crest a demi-fawn proper, surrounded by mantling in gules, sable, and argent—matching the arms on the V&A plate and on an escutcheon made for Frederik Rhenius, originally in the Grote Kerk of Cape Town and now in the Koopman–De Wet House. The surname “Rhenius” is a Latinized form derived from Rhee (Dutch) or ree (English), meaning roe deer, directly reflected in the armorial imagery on this Chinese export plate. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chinese Armorial porcelain plate, decorated with a European Coat of Arms; porcelain painted in overglaze enamels and gilt; China (Jingdezhen), Qing dynasty, ca. 1750","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"label","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"coats of arms","id":"AAT126352"},{"text":"floral patterns","id":"AAT10135"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.351-1931"],"accessionNumberNum":"351","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1931,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":false}}