Gardenia flower dish

Gardenia flower dish This dish, with its rounded sides and slightly flared lip, is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue in reserve on a monochrome yellow ground. The central medallion, delimited by a double cobalt circle, features two gardenia flowers arranged symmetrically, accompanied by their branches, foliage and buds. The inner walls are decorated with four harmoniously arranged elements: a lotus bouquet, two pomegranates with foliage, two persimmons with scrolls and a bunch of grapes. The outer walls are covered with a continuous scroll of flowers, possibly roses. The base is white: in the center, painted in six cobalt blue characters, is the mark of the Jiajing era (1522-1566) (Da Ming Jiajing nianzhi 大明嘉靖年制), framed by a double circle. The entire piece is transparent except for the foot circle, on which the piece was placed during firing.

Diameter: 26.2 cm

Significant surface wear to the yellow glaze