Plate, Yongzheng c.1735, with the arms of Erskine quarterly and grand quarterly, Earl of Buchan
In the early 17th century the Buchan earldom passed to the second son of John Erskine, Earl of Mar, 1st Lord Cardross and Lord High Treasurer of Scotland. In 1695 the title was inherited by David Erskine (1672-1745), 4th Lord of Cardross and 9th Earl of Buchan. He married firstly Frances Fairfax, who died in 1719, and secondly in 1743 Isabella, daughter of Sir William Blackett, Baronet, whose arms do not appear. Although the Fairfax arms show as a quartering rather than impalement, it seems certain that this service was made for the 9th Earl of Buchan before he married again.
The complex and intricate heraldry on this service is as finely executed as any armorial painted by a Chinese craftsman. The arms are ’grand quarterly’ meaning that one or more of the ’quarters’ are further divided into four to accommodate ancestral descent; a practice often observed in Scotland. The shield has furthermore a coat ’in pretence’ for a territorial right, and is surmounted by an earl’s coronet and Erskine crest. The colourful and exotic supporters on either side are an ostrich and a pink (or heraldically red) griffin. The quarterings are:
1st Feudal arms of the earldom of Buchan 2nd i and iv Mar quartering Erskine 3rd i and iv Stewart quartering Comyn, Earls of Buchan 4th Fairfax Overall, on an escutcheon, the Lordship of Cardross
Reference : From the Weld Collection, and formerly from the Phil Cooke Collection. This plate illustrated in Chinese Armorial Porcelain Volume I, p.410 and in colour p.141.
Condition : Minor strengthening of enamel, otherwise perfect
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