Dish; China, Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644.
Kraak porcelain.
It has hair on the rim.
Provenance: private collection conceived since the 1970s between London and Madrid.
Measurements: 7.5 x 37.5 cm (diameter).
Dish made of enamelled porcelain. The piece shows a design in the usual white and blue so characteristic of this type of piece, with figurative motifs in the centre as it presents a landscape scene with human figures that seem to be staging a battle typical of the transitional period of the Ming Dynasty. The Alero is divided into cartouches, all of which are decorated with depictions of figures that continue to show a war-like theme. Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain is a type of Chinese export porcelain produced mainly in the late Ming dynasty, in the reign of Wanli (1573-1620), but also in Tianqi (1620-1627) and Chongzhen (1627-1644). It was one of the first Chinese export items to arrive in Europe in large quantities and was frequently featured in Dutch Golden Age still-life paintings.