Dish with dragon swimming among the lotus, China, Ming dynasty (1368- 1644), Hongzhi mark and period (1488-1505), Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, porcelain with underglaze blue decoration, 4.4 x 21.5 cm. Gift of Florence Marks, Orwell Phillips and Barbara Selby 1980, 192.1980. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (C) Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Three five-clawed dragons, one in the centre of the interior and two on the exterior surface decorate this elegant plate. With their mouths closed, the elongated dragons swim amongst the water lotus and lake plants. The lotus is a symbol of purity and perfection both in traditional Chinese literati culture and Buddhist art. The serene dragons, the lotus and the band of calm water lapping the interior rim together present a fresh and placid scene quite distinct from dragons contesting for pearls amid the clouds.

Asian Art Department, AGNSW, January 2012