This porcelain square dish has a rich underglaze blue decoration. The cobalt blue decoration on this dish characterises decorations of Taoist symbols such as longevity, reflecting the emperor's strong Taoist beliefs. This is also reflected in the peach, flanked by two dragons, depicting the character 'shou' and the lingzhi-shaped scrolls and clouds, symbols of long life and immortality. Wares such this example illustrate the turbulent period of the transition from Ming to Qing rule at the end of the 17th century. A period that was marked by the collapse of the imperial kilns, growing domestic interest in literary subjects and the customisation of private kilns for new markets.
