A fine green-enameled 'Dragon' dish, Zhengde six-character mark and of the period (1506-1521)

Lot 196. A fine green-enameled 'Dragon' dish, Zhengde six-character mark and of the period (1506-1521). D. 17,7 cm. Estimate 9.000/12.000 €. Lot sold 15.000 €. Courtesy Nagel 

This dish is finely potted with shallow, rounded sides supported on a slightly tapering foot. The interior is decorated with a five-clawed dragon striding amongst fire scrolls and clouds highlighted in green enamel, its scaly head, body and limbs incised, all encircled within a green border repeated at the rim. The reverse is similarly decorated with a pair of green dragons racing through a sea of incised waves. Very small restoration, chip to the rim with very short related hairline, tiny chip to stand.

Provenance: Property from a German private collection, collected between 1940 and 2000.

Note: Cf. collection of the British Museum, nos. 8:33 and 8:34; Another one also in the British Museum, illustrated in Harrison-Hall, Jessica: Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, pp. 208-209. Two other dishes in the Percival David Foundation, described in Medley, Margaret: Ming Polychrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1978, no. A725, pl. XI; Another dish illustrated in Krahl, Regina: Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994, vol. 2, no. 694, pp. 78-78.