Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Dish

ca. 1630-1650 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dish of saucer shape with sides moulded in eight simple lobes and rim with eight bracket foliation; low foot tapered on the outside; patches of grit adhering to it. Painted in the centre with an octagonal panel containing a design of four fish swimming among swirling waves, sprinkled among which are also auspicious emblems: the conch, coral, jewel, rhinoceros-horn cups, books, paintings, lozenges, and another conch, also a small dragon and a flaming pearl. The eight panels round the sides are filled with various diaper patterns including cash, scale, two kinds of T-fret, two textile-like patterns, and two with motives in reserve: a fan on a ground of key-fret, and a conch in a four-pointed cartouche on a ground of key-fret, and a conch in a four-pointed cartouche on a ground of swastika diaper. Round the outside are eight large emblems in ribbons: the ruyi head, horn cups, conch, musical stone, ruyi head, pair of fish, canopy and musical stone repeated. The apocryphal reign mark of Jiajing is written in six characters in large, bold script with in a double ring on the base.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue
Brief description
Dish, porcelain painted in underglaze blue, with design of fish, waves and auspicious emblems; China, Ming dynasty, ca. 1630-50, with Jiajing reign mark.
Physical description
Dish of saucer shape with sides moulded in eight simple lobes and rim with eight bracket foliation; low foot tapered on the outside; patches of grit adhering to it. Painted in the centre with an octagonal panel containing a design of four fish swimming among swirling waves, sprinkled among which are also auspicious emblems: the conch, coral, jewel, rhinoceros-horn cups, books, paintings, lozenges, and another conch, also a small dragon and a flaming pearl. The eight panels round the sides are filled with various diaper patterns including cash, scale, two kinds of T-fret, two textile-like patterns, and two with motives in reserve: a fan on a ground of key-fret, and a conch in a four-pointed cartouche on a ground of key-fret, and a conch in a four-pointed cartouche on a ground of swastika diaper. Round the outside are eight large emblems in ribbons: the ruyi head, horn cups, conch, musical stone, ruyi head, pair of fish, canopy and musical stone repeated. The apocryphal reign mark of Jiajing is written in six characters in large, bold script with in a double ring on the base.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 37.5cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Six-character Jiajing reign mark within a double ring on the base
Production
label
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
FE.8-1980

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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