Note: The present dish is impressive for it large size and carefully composed design, and no other example of this type appears to have been published. For the prototype of this dish see a slightly larger example with a similarly composed design on a yellow ground, with a Yongzheng reign mark and of the period, sold in these rooms, 20th November 1985, lot 156.

The bajixiang originated in India and came into China with the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), and was immediately incorporated into the decorative arts. During the early seventeenth century these Buddhist symbols became integrated with Daoist symbols and came to share the same meaning of longevity. The combination of the bajixiang resting on lotus flowers and the interlocking scrolls derives from the blue and white palace bowls and stemcups of the Chenghua dynasty (1465-87); for example, see a stemcup included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua. Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan, Jingdezhen, Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C52.