Each finely enamelled with a martial scene of soldiers and horsemen dueling with spears and swords, one dish depicting the swarthy general Zhang Fei with bushy beard, the other with general Guan Yu with distinctive halberd and red beard enamelled in red, all surrounded with a diaper border at the rim. 

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 14th May 2008, lot 616
An English private collection.

Note: The two dishes depict the real historical figures of Guan Yu 關羽 (died AD219) and Zhang Fei 張飛 (died AD221) who were glorified in the Ming Dynasty historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, attributed to Luo Guanzhong. Their martial exploits were spread by professional storytellers as well as in operas and novels.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art, 08.11.2018