'Doucai', which means fitted colours, is a combination of cobalt blue (used to outline designs) and overglaze enamels that include red, green and yellow. Fruit sprays surround the central decoration, which consists of a stylised pomegranate plant amid leaves. The pomegranate's many seeds symbolise fertility.An apocryphal six-character reign mark of Chenghua found at the base of these dishes indicates a sign of Emperor Kangxi's appreciation of fine Chenghua porcelain, and the high standards of Chinese porcelain set by the Ming emperor Chenghua (1464-1487).
