This visually striking dish is painted in underglaze cobalt blue with flowers amidst swirling leaves. The bold design, which covers the entire surface of the dish, brings to mind the richly-decorated blue and white porcelain of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). This dish reflects a period of porcelain production in the late Kangxi era (1662-1722) which saw the revival of densely decorated patterns on some ceramic wares. The dish was most probably made for the Islamic market in Persia, where larger vessels were in demand as they were used for communal feasting. Such Chinese porcelain influenced Persian potters who produced fritware dishes with a similar aesthetic during the Safavid period. This is a fine representation of the enduring and wide appeal of Chinese blue and white porcelain since it first came into fashion in the 14th century.
