This 'wucai' or 'five-colour' dish combines both underglaze blue and overglaze enamels of red, yellow, green and aubergine. The central decoration is a floral medallion comprising floral sprays such as hydrangea, peony and lingzhi. Several of these flowers in the centre of the dish, including chrysanthemum, lily and rose, are repeated on the exterior. They symbolise rank, longevity and good fortune. A six-character Kangxi reign mark in underglaze blue can be found on the base.This dish belongs to a collection that comprises mostly blue and white porcelain of the Transitional period (1620-83). The transitional pieces illustrate the turbulent period of transition from Ming (1368-1644) to Qing (1644-1911) rule at the end of the 17th century. They are evidence of the domestic interest in literary subject matter and of how the private kilns customised their wares for new markets, in the wake of the collapse of the imperial kilns.
