Title
A pair of 'doucai' dishes
Year/Period
Chenghua mark, Kangxi period (1662-1722), Qing dynasty
Region
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 001: H3.0 x Dia13.6 cm; 002: H3.1 x Dia13.8 cm
Accession No.
2002-00098
Collection of
Credit Line
From the Xiang Xue Zhuang Collection in memory of Dr Tan Tsze Chor
'Doucai', which means fitted colours, is a combination of cobalt blue (used to outline designs) and overglaze enamels that include red, green and yellow. Fruit sprays surround the central decoration, which consists of a stylised pomegranate plant amid leaves. The pomegranate's many seeds symbolise fertility.An apocryphal six-character reign mark of Chenghua found at the base of these dishes indicates a sign of Emperor Kangxi's appreciation of fine Chenghua porcelain, and the high standards of Chinese porcelain set by the Ming emperor Chenghua (1464-1487).
