Page 152 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

In its classic design, the current dish embodies period, are sometimes unmarked, marks
the spirit of continuation in the development on the archetypal dishes from the Xuande
of Zhengde-period imperial porcelain from its and Chenghua reigns are usually inscribed
15th-century prototypes. horizontally under the rim on the exterior, and
the bases of the dishes left unglazed. Other slight
Imperial porcelain dishes created in this
decoration first appeared in the Xuande modifications are also observed in the Zhengde
period, and continued to be made in examples, including the positioning of the four
subsequent reigns, most characteristically in fruiting sprays in correlation to the central spray
the Chenghua and Zhengde periods. Though of flowering pomegranate.
quintessentially following a canon established Closely related dishes from the Zhengde reign
by his predecessors, the Zhengde examples are amongst worldwide museum and private
were created with minor variations from its collections. See one in the Victoria & Albert
15th-century counterparts. Whilst earlier Museum, London, illustrated in John Ayers,
examples, particularly those of the Xuande Far Eastern ceramics in the Victoria and Albert