A LARGE CHINESE 'SWATOW' DISH C.1600 The deep body rising from a tapering foot to an everted rim

A LARGE CHINESE 'SWATOW' DISH

C.1600

The deep body rising from a tapering foot to an everted rim, painted in turquoise and black enamels with the Eight Trigrams encircling a yin-yang symbol, the central medallion surrounded by a scene of fishing boats sailing by mountains under a starry night sky, with fish, crabs and crustacea amidst aquatic plants to the cavetto, the designs divided by simple iron-red bands, 39.3cm.

Provenance: formerly a Japanese private collection.

Cf. R Fujioka and H Hasebe, Sekai Toji Zenshu, Ceramic Art of the World, vol.14, p.240, no.247 for a related dish with a fish and crab border surrounding phoenix and a central landscape scene; see also T Yoneyama, The Seikado Bunko Art Museum Catalogue of Swatow Wares of the Seikado Collection, p.51, no.47 for another dish with a fish and crab border.