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I bought this 10-15 years ago. It shows 18 men having a sort of party, along with a large cat or tiger! There is a dragon with 4 claws at the top. It is an unusual subject and I wondered whether it is genuinely of the period.
I would be grateful for any opinions.

This looks to me like it may be an authentic Guangxu-period dish, as the mark compares fairly well to some shown in reference books. Tony Allen would be a better judge.

The subject matter is the '18 Luohans', Buddhistic deities known as 'Arhats' in Sanskrit. Interpretation of their niche in Buddhist cosmology differs across the spectrum of practice within various branches of the religion. In general, though, they have achieved a level of purity just below complete enlightenment.

Each Luohan has a name and attribute. The one with the Tiger is the Dharmatala or 'Tiger Taming Luohan'. Wikipedia has further information under the 'Arhat' heading.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Hi David,

I agree with Bill and would date it as Guangxu as well.

Regards,

Arjan

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