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13 mai 2017

Large dish with with floral scroll, Yongle period, 1403-1424

Large dish with with floral scroll, Yongle period, 1403-1424

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Large dish with with floral scroll, Yongle period, 1403-1424. Porcelain painted in underglaze blue. Diameter: 38.4 cm. 1712-1876  © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.  

The central area is decorated with large and small floral motifs (including lotuses) on broad scrollwork, while the cavetto features separate motifs of large individual blossoms surrounded by smaller ones.

Blue-and-white porcelain was first produced when China was under Mongol rule (1279-1368). It was originally made for export to the Middle East, where it remained popular for centuries. This dish found its way to Iran. Marks on the back show that Shah Abbas donated it to the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in Ardabil in 1611.

This dish is a fine example of blue-and-white porcelain from the early 15th century. At that time the Yongle Emperor sent seven expeditions from China to south-east Asia and the Middle East, led by the eunuch admiral Zheng He. Historians believe that large dishes of this type were given as diplomatic gifts.

The Chinese usually served food in small or medium-sized dishes, but not large ones such as this. Large dishes were made primarily for sale to the countries of central or south-east Asia. A significant quantity of both green-glazed stoneware and blue-and-white porcelain has survived there today.

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