This is an interesting dish featuring a large house in landscape at the centre, surrounded by panels with smaller scenes alternating with roundels containing Arabic inscriptions. Zhangzhou ware was commonly known as ‘Swatow ware’ due to the previously-held (but mistaken) belief that this type of ceramics was shipped out from the port of Shantou (Swatow) in Guangdong province. They are typically painted with bold decoration, heavily potted and have bases with grit adhering to them. These wares were mainly made for export, and this example confirms that they were sent to Islamic markets most probably in Southeast Asia. Chinese ceramics were highly prized in these places and were used extensively by the nobility and the elite as status symbols.
