A WUCAI 'IMMORTALS' DISH, WANLI MARK AND PERIOD
China, 1573-1619. Delicately potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a tapered foot to a flared rim, intricately painted to the interior with a central medallion enclosing Shoulao and two other immortals standing beside gnarled pine trees in a garden landscape with colorful clouds, the cavetto with a foliate meander bearing lingzhi heads supporting stylized Shou characters, painted to the exterior with eight floral sprays between a band of swirls and a double-line border. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Ming Wanli nianzhi within a double circle and of the period.

Provenance: From an important private collection in southern Germany, assembled between 1950 and 1987. Thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing flaws, including dark spots and pitting, two tiny chips to the rim with old kintsugi repair.

Weight: 131.7 g
Dimensions: Diameter 14.2 cm

Expert's note: This finely enameled piece belongs to a distinct group of porcelain dishes painted in either underglaze blue or wucai enamels with Daoist immortals and a scroll of lingzhi supporting Shou characters on the rim.

Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bowl illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colors, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 38, Hong Kong, 1999, no. 43.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related wucai dish, 12.3 cm diameter, also with a Wanli mark and of the period and depicting Shoulao, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art on 5 April 2016, lot 47, sold for HKD 1,125,000. Compare a related wucai bowl, 17 cm diameter, also with a Wanli mark and of the period and depicting Shoulao, at Christie's Hong Kong in The Pavilion Sale on 4 October 2018, lot 44, sold for HKD 1,125,000.


萬曆款與年代五彩開光仙人福壽盤
中國，1573-1619年。侈口，圓腹淺盤，圈足。盤内紋飾精美，中央開光可見壽老和另外兩個神仙在五彩祥雲的圍繞中，旁邊可見松樹、靈芝與瑞獸。盤沿上壽字紋、雲紋以及花卉紋。圈足内青色雙圈六字"大明萬曆年製"。

來源：一個重要的南德私人收藏，購於1950年至1987年，保存至今。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和燒製瑕疵，包括黑點和點蝕，邊沿上有兩個小磕損，經過金繼技術修復。

重量：131.7 克
尺寸：直徑 14.2 厘米

專家注釋：這件仙人福壽盤，製作精美，青花五彩琺琅釉繪製仙人、靈芝、卷葉紋以及壽字。

文獻比較：比較一件相近的碗，見Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colors, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 第38冊，香港，1999年，圖 43。

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的五彩盤，直徑12.3 厘米，同樣有萬曆款和壽老紋飾，見香港蘇富比The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art 2016年4月5日 lot 47, 售價HKD 1,125,000； 比較一件相近五彩碗，直徑17厘米，同樣有萬曆款與年代以及壽老紋飾，見香港佳士得The Pavilion Sale 2018年10月4日 lot 44, 售價HKD 1,125,000。