Soup plate

The plate is complete; there are some cracks around the rim. The plate is circular with an octagonal rim. The rim slopes slightly inwards, the sides are socked and the bottom is flat and recessed. The plate rests on a small ring-shaped foot, which is free of glaze ; The decoration covers almost the entire inside of the plate. It is drawn and hand-painted in underglaze blue. The decoration covers the rim, wall and bottom of the plate. It is of the lakeside landscape type. The border frieze is complex and composed of various elements. Near the rim, there is a narrow braid trimmed with core ovals. The frieze is composed of two different groups of elements, placed alternately. One group features a butterfly with outstretched wings at the center of a beaded latticework background, while the other features a latticework with a Ruyi head at the center, bordered by two dark-blue painted arches and supporting two Greciques. The wall is adorned with a diamond latticework braid interrupted by four zones featuring a central leafy, flowering stem and bordered by two blue-painted arcs-de-circles. The central motif is a lake scene topped by an island that rests on the entablature and is carelessly painted in faded blue. This island supports buildings, including a tall, stepped-roof pagoda, which are bordered by leafy, thorny trees. The rear courtyard is enclosed by a wall in three sections, two of which have closed rectangular openings, while the front courtyard is enclosed by a fence whose panels are adorned with a swastika; it is bordered by a willow and a deciduous tree. A similar fence lines the path leading to a one-arch bridge, on which two figures stand. In the background, a small island shelters a few buildings with gable roofs. A small boat sails on the water.