Peach Dish

The Kang-hsi period witnessed the maturation of two distinct formats that featured overglaze polychrome enamels against pure white porcelain ground. The earlier of the two techniques employed translucent enamels like those in this extraordinary dish (famille verte or green family), while the other featured opaque enamels (famille rose or pink family). This exceptionally rare imperial porcelain features four peaches in vibrant green, yellow, and aubergine on leafy branches with black outline against a white ground. Most dishes of this type show pomegranate and persimmon as their main motif. This is the only dish of this style on record to display peaches. The peaches are superimposed on a barely preceptible incised design of a central dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl encircled by two other dragons. The underside is incised with two dragons and decorated with a peony and camellia branch. It also contains a six character Kang-hsi reign mark in underglaze blue.