WANLI to CHONGZHEN c.1580 – 1640 Ming Porcelain
A Large Ming Blue and White Porcelain Dish, `Swatow` Ware, Late Ming Dynasty, Wanli to Chongzhen Period c.1580-1640. From the Kilns in Pinghe or Hua`an in Heping County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. Possibly Made for the Portuguese Market. The Center Shows Two Dragons Chasing Flaming Pearls, The Next Panel of Decoration Shows Galloping Horses. The Broad Outer Border is European in Taste, it Incorporates Late Renaissance and Early Baroque Elements Including Strapwork and Scrolls.
SOLD
- Condition
- A rim chip to the front that has been restored ('sprayed') c.25 x 15 mm. The glaze with some fring spots to the well, the glaze is crazed.
- Size
- Diameter : 45.5 cm (18 inches).
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 23472
- References
- For two Ming `Swatow` dishes with this type of European style border but with ships to the center dated to c.1575/1580 see : Chinese Porcelain At The Time Of Empire (Nuno de Castro, ACD Editions, 2007. ISBN 978-9728855-39-0) page 83.
Photos
Information
The border design is clearly European in style, it reflects contemporary European taste and incorporates late Renaissance and early Baroque elements such as strapwork and scrolls. Part of the design has two large birds, according to Nuno de Castro in : Chinese Porcelain At The Time Of Empire (Nuno de Castro, ACD Editions, 2007. ISBN 978-9728855-39-0) page 83, these are crows, emblems of the City of Lisbon. This border design is used on Ming dishes made in Fujian Province for the Portuguese market, these dishes have ships arranged around the center of a compass. De Castro states that they were acquired by the Portuguese from the Port of Xiamen, near the island of Amoy.