22.
A ‘BLUE AND WHITE’ DISH
Ming dynasty, Wanli period
36 cm diam.
Fu gui jia qi four-character mark.
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 4495.
The central medallion is painted with a peony blossom bordered by ruyi scroll, with a further border of ruyi-heads around the cavetto, and composite floral sprays alternating with six auspicious emblems. The reverse is painted with lingzhi-shaped sprays alternating with insect motifs around the undersides with floral motifs above the foot and a scroll around it.
The mark on the base Fu gui jia qi may be translated as “fine vessel for the rich and honourable”; this mark is prevalent on other mid to late sixteenth century wares.
This type of dish was made for export as demonstrated in the large extant numbers of such dishes in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul (R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, 3 voll., London 1986, n. 897: one of 27).
