Dish with Gardenia Blooms and Buds, Ming Dynasty, Hongzhi Mark and Period (1488-1505). Porcelain with underglaze brown decoration; 4.4 x 26 cm. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art,  1944-20-346.

Dish with Gardenia Blooms and Buds, Ming Dynasty, Hongzhi Mark and Period (1488-1505). Porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze yellow enamel decoration; 4.é x 26 cm. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art,  1944-20-347.

The Hongzhi period (1488–1505) is acclaimed for producing the best yellow glazes of the Ming dynasty. Here, strong yellow enamel was applied over a bold, underglaze cobalt blue design of floral sprays on the front and back of the dish. Such distinctive colored wares were made from the fifteenth to the early sixteenth century and used throughout the imperial palace.