Jiajing Dish

Ming Dynasty - Jiajing
Wucai Dish with enamel decoration
Six-character mark and period - (1522 - 1566)

19.1 centimeters diameter, 3 centimeters height

Finely decorated interior. Six underglaze blue rings encircling alternating Ruyi / Fungus Molds of iron red, emerald-green, yellow, and violet overglaze enamel. Delicate ruyi floral sprigs decorate between the rings.

The center is an underglaze blue hibiscus surrounded by a border of 13 underglaze blue lappet petals. The outside has a delicate underglaze blue floral scroll connecting five hibiscus flowers. The rim has gilt decoration (worn) with slight chipping. The foot-biscuit worn and smooth.

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Update
Nov 11th, 2013

About 20 years ago, the head of the Chinese Works of Art Department of one of the world's major auction houses (names not given out of professional courtesy) told me directly that this is Japanese. His reason for this assessment was very weak (to me) and aside from him calling me back (in error) a month later, I never spoke with him or the auction house again.

Just a few weeks ago I had one of my viewers, a prominent collector from Belgium, inquire about this dish. He has an identical dish in his collection. A friend of his informed him that there was a similar, if not identical, dish in the Shanghai Museum in China. About 3 months ago, a Chinese businessman contacted me in hopes of purchasing this dish.

So much for the 'experts' and the world's major auction houses. I know it shouldn't surprise me, but it does, when I see how often they visit my site.