Dish

The dish is complete; a good portion of the enamel around the rim is missing. It is circular with a plain rim. The rim is wide and sloping inwards, and the wall is curved towards the bottom, which is flat. The dish rests on a ring-shaped foot, the base of which is free of glaze. The center is recessed and flat. The reverse shows three traces of pernette in a triangular pattern. The glaze on the reverse shows small needle holes. The foot has a hole drilled through its wall, the inside of which is covered with enamel. The glaze on the front is shiny; the decoration is hand-painted in cobalt blue, underglaze. It is of a vegetal scenic type (Chinese garden). The decoration is outlined by a fillet painted on the marli, close to the rim. The decoration occupies the marli and the background. The marli decoration consists of three similar motifs arranged in a triangle: a central trifoliate motif, outlined in dark blue and painted pale blue, bordered by vegetal motifs outlined in dark blue. These motifs are bordered by three small plant motifs painted dark blue. The background decoration is encircled by a ring; it consists of a stylized rock with a hole, symbolizing the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, painted in dark blue on the right and a fence on the left; the space is lined with flowers, and a stylized tree, probably a willow, emerges behind the rock.