A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE ‘KRAAK’ PORCELAIN ‘BIRDS AMID FLOWERS’ DISH, LATE MING DYNASTY

拍品描述

A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE ‘KRAAK’ PORCELAIN ‘BIRDS AMID FLOWERS’ DISH, LATE MING DYNASTY China, first half of the 17th century. Well-modeled, with shallow, gently rounded sides rising from a short, tapering foot. The interior painted in varying shades of cobalt blue beneath a clear transparent glaze, with a large central medallion enclosing a natural scene with birds in flight amid blossoming lotus and luxuriant pine trees, encircled around the cavetto with a series of lobed panels, each containing highly stylized floral motifs. The exterior further adorned with abstract floral sprays rendered in corresponding tones of underglaze blue. The underside is left unglazed, revealing the buff-colored ceramic body. Dimensions: Height 8.1 cm, Diameter 38.2 cm ‘Kraak’ porcelain belongs to the corpus of Chinese export wares produced during the first half of the 17th century. Its name derives from the Dutch term ‘kraak’, which refers to the Portuguese ship type ‘caracca’, employed to transport goods from the Far East to Europe. From 1602 onward, the export and distribution of Chinese porcelain were conducted not by the Portuguese but by the Dutch East India Company.

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