A rare blue and white dish. Ming Dynasty, 15th century. Photo Christies Ltd 2011

Painted to the interior with a peacock standing on rocks below a large peony bloom surrounded by leafy branches, the cavetto with large blooms borne on leafy scrolls, repeated on the exterior; 13 in. (33 cm.) diam. Estimate £10,000 - £15,000 ($16,710 - $25,065)

Notes: Compare a similar blue and white dish painted with a peacock in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, A Complete Catalogue II, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Porcelains, London, 1986, p. 568, no. 748.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art , 10 May 2011. London, King Street www.christies.com