Plate with magpies and prunus

A wish from thirty magpies

What is special about a magpie? Why are there so many of them depicted on this antique Chinese plate from the nineteenth century? In Dutch culture, the magpie does not have a positive image. With its black and white feathers, it is a recognizable bird in the Dutch street scene, but it is known as a thief. Jewelry and shiny objects are said to be unsafe when there is a magpie nearby. Now, magpies are naturally curious birds and when they find a shiny object, they will definitely want to take a closer look. But they never take it with them, research shows!

In China, the magpie has a completely different reputation. Love for birds in general is self-evident there, and you will therefore never find images of dead birds. In any case, in China, no symbolism is used on paintings or porcelain decorations that could make the viewer think of death. In the Netherlands, this is very different. Dutch still lifes from the seventeenth century, for example, often depict dead birds.

Plate with magpies and prunus, China, Tongzhi-period (1862 – 1874), porcelain, Ø 22,3 cm, on loan from Ottema-Kingma Stichting.

The colours of the magpies on this plate contrast beautifully with the bright yellow and soft pink of the blossom. But there is more to it. Since the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), flowers and birds have been frequently depicted in Chinese paintings. Some birds are not only nice to look at, but also have a deeper meaning. Magpies are a symbol of prosperity in China. They are therefore often found as decoration on Chinese porcelain, especially in the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911).

Because the first characters of this bird’s name, xique, sound the same as xi, happiness, magpies can be added to a wish for a happy marriage, to become rich or to succeed in an exam. They then carry the message that this success will be achieved. And that’s not all. Mei, prunus, sounds the same as mei, eyebrow. The combination of magpies and prunus means ‘happiness will reach as high as the eyebrow’, that is: happiness without end.

This board depicts thirty magpies. This represents the wish that ‘many happy things may happen to you, all thirty days of the month’. A nice wish to receive, for your birthday for example. Who wouldn’t want this in their home?

Eva Ströber, former curator Asian ceramics at Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics, with thanks to Aafke Koole.