Plate

The plate is complete; there is some missing around the rim and some flaws on the reverse. The plate is circular in shape, with an octagonal rim and concave corners. The rim slopes slightly inwards, the wall is low and the bottom is flat and recessed. The plate rests on a small milled foot that is free of glaze. There are traces of wear on the inner base; the decoration is traced and hand-painted in underglaze blue. The decoration covers the rim, wall and bottom of the plate. It is of the lake landscape type. The border frieze is complex, consisting of two groups of elements repeated alternately on the sides of the plate’s border. One group consists of a wide lattice braid featuring a central butterfly with outstretched wings, bordered by a narrow braid decorated with oblique lines. The other group features a central plant element painted in dark blue with latticework, bordered by a long leaf and three aligned scrolls painted in dark blue. The decoration on the wall is a star latticework braid, interrupted in four places by a half-flower bordered by a pair of arcs-de-circle. The background decoration is encircled by a ring and consists of an oriental scene with water and islands. The main island, painted in faded blue, is bordered by large boulders and supports a tall pagoda with an oriental-style stepped roof, bordered by a tall leafy tree. In the background are buildings on the shore. This island is linked to another on the right by a three-arched masonry bridge, over which walks a figure who appears to be armed with a spear. This island, painted a faded blue, is home to a leafy tree. In the background, another island supports two oriental-roofed pavilions. Birds flutter in the sky.