Lot Essay
The dragons are typical of those from the Hongwu period, with thin sinuous bodies, antler-like horns and pronounced claws. Cf. an iron-red enamelled dish excavated from the Ming section of the Yudai River, identified as Hongwu period Imperial ware, included in the exhibition, A Legacy of the Ming, Ceramic Finds from the Site of the Ming Palace in Nanjing, 1996, Catalogue, no. 22 and cover illustration.
The present lot is unusual as the medallion contains a central dragon; more common are those dishes with clouds within the central medallion surrounded by dragons striding in the well and to the exterior, either painted or in anhua. Cf. the example illustrated by Duncan Macintosh, Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, 1986, no. 12; and another sold in these Rooms, 31 October 1994, lot 545, with near identical dragons to the exterior.
(US$13,000-20,000)
The present lot is unusual as the medallion contains a central dragon; more common are those dishes with clouds within the central medallion surrounded by dragons striding in the well and to the exterior, either painted or in anhua. Cf. the example illustrated by Duncan Macintosh, Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, 1986, no. 12; and another sold in these Rooms, 31 October 1994, lot 545, with near identical dragons to the exterior.
(US$13,000-20,000)