Collection of Works About Botany (For Educational or Commercial Use)

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

This lobed dish with a diameter of over 50 centimeters bears in the center a scene of a bird pecking at a loquat, leaving abundant white space. The bird is called shoudainiao in Chinese: since shou is homonymous with the character for longevity, it is regarded as an auspicious symbol of long life. The loquat is a symbol of wealth as it bears abundant gold-color fruit. Both sides of the cavetto bear auspicious fruits including pomegranates, peaches and lychee while the mouth rim is decorated with baoxianghua scrolls and waves. The artistic expression of the underglaze blue decoration becomes more refined during the Yongle period, which is executed in a more pictorial manner leaving moderate amount of white background like this work.