Description
Chinese Kraak Porcelain Dish – Ming Dynasty, Wanli Period (c. 1573–1619)
Diameter: 36.5 cm | Condition: Professionally restored
Fine blue and white kraak porcelain dish from the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, produced for export to the European market. The central panel features a delicately painted garden scene with a butterfly and a grasshopper among flowering plants. In Chinese decorative tradition, the butterfly symbolizes joy and longevity, while the grasshopper is typically associated with the changing seasons and natural renewal.
The wide border is divided into panels with alternating floral motifs and auspicious objects, all rendered in underglaze cobalt blue. Characteristic of 17th-century export wares, this type of porcelain was highly prized in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe.
The dish is in restored condition, with several breaks professionally repaired.
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