Two Chinese Imari porcelain plates, 18th century. One painted with precious objects surrounded by floral and latticework decoration. One painted with cranes and a prunus branch in bloom bearing fruit.

Provenance: From the Estate of C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan, Long Lake, Minnesota.

C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan (1926-2022) was a passionate world traveler and avid collector. It was through his travels that he was inspired to begin a lifelong relationship with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), becoming a major sponsor of the institute and facilitating the growth of their Asian art department, which is now one of the best in the country. His generous donations to Mia allowed them to establish a fund for the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, one of the few endowed positions of this type in the museum field. He additionally served as a trustee of the institute, advocating for its operational growth. In its turn, the museum established a gallery named in his honor in recognition for his endowment fund and numerous contributions to their collection. The selections here showcase his talent and breadth of collecting, ranging from ancient statues to 19th-century woodblock prints. His appreciation for art persisted throughout his life and we are honored to offer items from his collection in this auction.
Each, diameter: 9 in. No visible cracks, losses, or restoration under UV light. No major chips; both plates show minute chips along the rim and footrim. Wear throughout. The coloring throughout both items has several scattered areas that are faded; the gold gilding in both items has areas that are faded as well. Original firing and glazing flaws throughout. Along the underside of both items, there is an area with adhesive residue that is fluorescent under UV light, possibly from a previous sticker that was adhered to the surface. To the plate captured left in the listing image, there are uneven surfaces that appear to be original and do not affect the upper side; please see the listing image.