A BLUE AND WHITE LEAF SHAPED DISH , Qianlong (1736 - 1795)
Length: 28.5cm; 11 ¼ in
T64
T64
Of leaf shape, painted in bright underglaze blue with, in the centre, a bouquet holding blossoming flowers and a long thin branch of flowering peony, all tied together with a...
Of leaf shape, painted in bright underglaze blue with, in the centre, a bouquet holding blossoming flowers and a long thin branch of flowering peony, all tied together with a flowing ribbon, above the bouquet a loose flower stem, and another small branch with a finger citrus, all set within a thinly moulded border, and around the rim of the dish a broad pattern of honey comb in brilliant underglaze blue, the base glazed.
Literature
The peony is known in Chinese mythology as the flower of wealth and honour, and the finger citrus, or as it is also called, Buddha's hand; as it resembles the classic position of Buddha's hand with the index and little finger pointing upward, is likewise a symbol of wealth as it illustrates the gesture of grasping money.
