This blue dish has a diaper pattern on the rim and floral sprays in the cavetto. The medallion in the centre features a qilin, a mythical Chinese chimerical creature that symbolises longevity and virility.Zhangzhou wares such as this were commonly known as ‘Swatow ware’ due to the erroneous belief that the ware was shipped out from the port of Zhantou (Swatow). These wares were mainly made for export to Japan and Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Chinese ceramics were highly prized in these places and were used extensively by the nobility and the elite as status symbols.
