Chinese Dragon Dish
The dragon, symbol of the temporal power in Chinese culture chases the flaming pearlwhich is a symbol of knowledge and enlightenment.
Dragons Dish
A Chinese famille verte dish, porcelain and coloured enamels, China (Jingdezhen), Kangxi (1662-1722), with pseudo Chenghua marks.
Dia.27.5cm NT1984.229
This dish is painted with the popular Chinese motif of a fearsome and agitated dragon, symbolising temporal power, pursuing a ‘flaming pearl’, or ‘dragon ball’. The latter represents ‘the pearl which grants all desires’ and, in particular, could confer knowledge and enlightenment. Therefore, it could represent the human quest for spiritual enlightenment.
The predominant green colour scheme of this dish allows us to place it amongst the famille verte (‘green family’) palette, a characteristic style of Chinese porcelain popular in the Kangxi period (1662-1722), made to some extent for the home market, but in particular, for export to European countries.
The distinction of placing colour schemes in ‘families’ according to the different combinations of colours (jaune, noire, rose and verte) is a nineteenth century French classification which continues to be widely accepted.
It was also generally accepted that the Dragon with five claws was a motif reserved for ceramics used in the Imperial Palaces.
Four and three claw Dragons were intended for lesser mortals!
Dia.27.5cm NT1984.229
This dish is painted with the popular Chinese motif of a fearsome and agitated dragon, symbolising temporal power, pursuing a ‘flaming pearl’, or ‘dragon ball’. The latter represents ‘the pearl which grants all desires’ and, in particular, could confer knowledge and enlightenment. Therefore, it could represent the human quest for spiritual enlightenment.
The predominant green colour scheme of this dish allows us to place it amongst the famille verte (‘green family’) palette, a characteristic style of Chinese porcelain popular in the Kangxi period (1662-1722), made to some extent for the home market, but in particular, for export to European countries.
The distinction of placing colour schemes in ‘families’ according to the different combinations of colours (jaune, noire, rose and verte) is a nineteenth century French classification which continues to be widely accepted.
It was also generally accepted that the Dragon with five claws was a motif reserved for ceramics used in the Imperial Palaces.
Four and three claw Dragons were intended for lesser mortals!
This object is located in the Saloon
It is categorised as Ceramic
This page was last updated on 11 April 2007