This large, foliated dish is decorated in a greyish-blue glaze with birds and rock trees in the centre and peony scrolls on the rim.The production of blue and white ware in large quantities started during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) for the Middle Eastern market. By the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty, blue and white wares were produced for the emperor, domestic consumption and for export to many places such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Europe. The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries saw the deterioration in the quality of Ming porcelain due to huge demands from the imperial court as well as from export trade. Little experimentation occured during this period.
