Qianlong Dish, Company of the Indies, after the Louis XV taste, ca. 1740. Enamelled porcelain. It shows wear due to use and the passage of time. Measurements: 22.5 cm (diameter). The rim of the dish presented here is profusely decorated with a floral pattern. The bottom, however, is only decorated with a bouquet of fruit, framed by a garland of bands and tendrils. This dish is very much in the Louis XV style, although it was made in the East for the export market to Europe (East India Company). The Qianlong Emperor, a member of the Qing dynasty, ruled China between 1736 and 1795, and is still remembered today as one of the most cultured emperors and one of the most important in terms of art collecting. His long reign was a particularly interesting moment in Chinese history. At that time, the country was the richest and most populous nation in the world. Qianlong was able to preserve and foster his own Manchu warrior and hunter traditions, and combine them with the adoption of Confucian principles of political and cultural leadership, thus achieving an effective and stable government. Indeed, it was his ability to adopt Chinese customs while honouring his Manchu tradition that made him one of the most successful emperors of the Qing dynasty. Qianlong studied Chinese painting, and especially enjoyed the art of calligraphy, highly regarded in this culture, indeed conceived as the highest of the arts.