A Ming Porcelain Dish with Arabic Inscriptions and Dancing Figures, Swatow Ware c.1620 – 1640.
A Ming Porcelain, inscribed Arabic Market Swatow dish, Wanli to Chongzhen c.1620-1640. This Swatow Ware dish was made in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. The center of this heavily potted Ming dish depicts two dragons contesting a ‘Flaming Pearl’, around this are five panels of flying horses. The outer border is of panels with dancing male figures alternating with Islamic inscriptions which translate as `God Who Gives Health` and ‘God the Healer`.
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- Condition
- In very good condition. There are is a firing fault on the back, this has caused two glaze lines, see photograph, one is at the top the other at the bottom of the adhesion.
- Size
- Diameter : 35.5 cm (13 3/4 inches)
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 25009
- References
- For a very similar Ming dish described as `Swatow-type` with the translation of the Islamic inscription see : Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum.(Jessica Harrison-Hall.The British Museum Press, 2001.ISBN 0-7141-1488-X) page 312, plate 11:24. For other Ming dishes of this type see : Zhangzhou Export Porcelain, the So-Called Swatow Wares (Various authors, Jorge Welsh Books, 2006 ISBN 0-9550992-4-2.) pages 90-93, items 15 and 16.
Photos
Information
Swatow ware produced at various kilns in Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province was a type of Chinese export porcelain decorated in blue and white or bright overglaze enamels, often with a predominance of a flat somewhat rusty red. Swatow wares were shipped to many countries including Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Portugal.