Soup plate

The plate is complete; it is missing around the rim and a break has been repaired with glue. The plate is circular with a plain rim. The rim slopes slightly inwards, the wall is socked and the bottom is flat and recessed. The plate rests on a small ring-shaped foot, which is free of glaze. There are slight flaws on the inner base; the decoration is traced and hand-painted in underglaze blue. The decoration covers the rim and bottom of the plate. It is of the Chinese garden type. The marli decoration is composed of three identical plant and floral groups arranged in a triangular pattern. The background is bordered by a double ring. The background features a garden scene with fence and rock, set on a flat, blue-painted, two-level terrace. The fence features a vertical post and panels adorned with vertical slats. Behind the fence stands a leafy plant with a large flower that appears to be a peony. It is flanked by a large rock with a hole in it, a symbol of the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. Behind the boulder rises a tall, leafy, flowering plant, on a branch of which stands a bird seen in profile; another bird twirls in the sky. The rim of the plate is covered with an iron-brown coating.