Dish with prunus and crescent moon. Stoneware, porcelain-type, with incised, slip and applied moulded biscuit-fired decoration and crackled celadon glaze. Longquan ware 龍泉窯. Longquan region, Zhejiang province 浙江省, 龍泉地區. Yuan dunasty, AD 1300–1368. PDF 272. British Museum © Trustees of the British Museum

Height: 32 mm. Diameter: 172 mm. Longquan stoneware dish with five-lobed rim and curving sides. The dish has grey-green glaze with dark stained crackle. There are incised prunus spray and crescent moon just visible under the glaze, unglazed moulded motifs in the centre of a rock with prunus tree, and a crescent moon painted with black, brown and white unfired pigments.

This dish with five-lobed rim is incised with a prunus spray and crescent moon. Floated on the glaze in the centre are sprig-moulded biscuit fired motifs of a rock with prunus tree and a crescent moon. These designs are coloured with white, brown and black slip. The dish has probably been in a fire or has been over-fired as the glaze is heavily cracled. This design is rare but there is another undamaged example in the British Museum’s collections. 

Bibliographic reference: Medley, Margaret, Volume 7: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 7 of 12, Tokyo, Kodansha ltd, 1975

Medley, Margaret, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1977 

Pierson, Stacey, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1997