Plate with grape and vine decoration, Xuande reign, Ming Dynasty, Jingdezhen. Porcelain, blue and white glazed. Height x Diameter: 7.6 x 37.4 cm. Diameter: 24 cm (bottom). Weight: 2 kg. Ident.Nr. OAS1959-60. Gift of the People's Republic of China. Collection: Museum of Asian Art. Photo: Petra Stüning © Photo: Museum of Asian Art, the National Museums in Berlin - Prussian Cultural Heritage.

Underglaze blue decorated porcelain occurred soon after their emergence in the time of the Mongol "Fremdherrrschaft" in China, the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), for one to conquer the world. After the flowering of blue and white porcelain in the 2nd half of the 14th century, the city of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province was gradually has become the top center of Chinese ceramics industry. Main components of Chinese porcelain form relatively iron-free clay kaolin and feldspar petuntse. From petuntse, with additions of lime and potash, it is also transparent and colorless glaze, which extends over the translucent white porcelain shards and adds the typical gloss. His intense color effect owes the blue and white porcelain the first imported mainly from Persia cobalt oxide. The strong behalf of cobalt led the fire initially often the appearance of dark spots, an effect that was due to the supersaturation and the penetration of the pigment by the glaze and blue White that time gave its particularity. Even the magnificent plates from the early Ming period is this stimulus own. It shows in the mirror and grape vines in front of empty ground. A floral tape with different flowers adorns the cavetto, waves and spray decorate the extended edge.