Plate, 1662-1722, 21 3/4 x 21 3/4 in. (55.25 x 55.25 cm), Porcelain with overglaze enamel decor, Seal mark chih (made to command) Famille verte ware, China, 17th-18th century, A tour de force in pictorial porcelain, the scene on this massive imperial charger represents an actual event: the final rout in a.d. 23 of the usurper, Wang Mang, by the imperial troops of Emperor Liu Hsiu, the founder of the later Han dynasty (a.d. 25-200). The emperor, dressed in yellow robes, watches from the battlements as Wang Mang, astride a mythological beast (kylin), surrounded by other fantastic animals and his followers, is driven from the walled city of K'un Yang. Made for the imperial household, this magnificent platter combines the large scale, historic subject matter and fine craftsmanship befitting a palace object.