Dish

Following the fall of the Ming dynasty, during which porcelain decorated in underglaze blue dominated, Chinese potters introduced a wide range of overglaze enamel colors, producing beautiful polychrome wares. Such ware is called Kangxi porcelain since it was for the most part made during that emperor's reign (1662-1722). Evidently, little of this new multicolored pottery was sent abroad during the first part of the new reign. In 1662, the Chinese retook the trading center of Formosa from the Dutch, making it more difficult for Europeans to trade. Furthermore, the kilns at Jingdezhen were destroyed by internal violence in 163 and not rebuilt until 1682. However, once production was revived, large quantities of Kangxi porcelain were exported to Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

This dish and another closely related example also in the Reves Collection have a double foot rim that Margaret Medley has demonstrated was in use between the late 1650s and the early 1670s (Butler 1990, 17 and 102).

"Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection," page 93