A rare Chinese kraak porcelain dish bearing the egret mark c.1620

A rare Chinese kraak porcelain dish bearing the egret mark c.1620, well painted with pheasants beneath a pine tree, perched on rockwork and encircled with panels of flowers, lotus and insects, 20.7cm. Provenance: from the collection of Roger and Jill Bichard of Seend House, Wiltshire. The egret mark is rare and appears mainly on kraak wares, only on pieces of good quality. It is commonly accepted that pieces bearing this mark were produced in one particular kiln, and Maura Rinaldi lists only 45 known examples. Cf. Kraak Porcelain, pp.195-208.