Plaque depicting a mandarin’s visit

These two rare series of enamel plaques come from the collection of Jean Theodore Royer, the leading Sinologist in the Netherlands in the 18th century. The inscription on the lantern (xun fu) mentions that the depicted mandarin (a high-ranking civil servant) in winter clothing is a governor. The banderole at left above the window translates as: ‘a meal to welcome a guest who has come from afar.’