1-620-965 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Plate with overglaze turquoise foliated dragons, Wanli period, Ming dynasty, China, 1572-1620. A 'Swatow' plate with overglaze turquoise and black decoration of foliated dragons. The dragons are painted in the style of the 15th century but they have the ribbon-like tail that first occurs in the late Zhengde period modified by division into two strands. This is something that seems to occur occasionally on the tails of dragons in the late Ming dynasty (Wanli period) probably made at the Swatow kilns possibly even for the Japanese market.