A rare large Chinese blue and white dish with floral design for the Thai or Hindu market, lingzhi mark, Kangxi

Dia.: 46,5 cm

This vibrant blue and white dish with a flared rim was made in China for the Thai market. Although such wares were once thought to have been produced for the Islamic world, research has shown that they were intended for Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, where specific decorative motifs indicated their destination. These dishes are often decorated with a single flower in bloom as a central medallion.

Motifs inspired by Buddhist and Hindu mythology, considered sacred—such as the lotus—appear frequently on this type of ware. Here, a lotus-and-scrolling-stem motif is repeated throughout the dish as a filler design in the spaces between six stylised leaves and the rim. The stylised leaves radiating from the central medallion may represent peepal leaves, which are sacred to both Buddhists (the Bodhi tree is a peepal tree) and Hindus. These leaves create a harmonious symmetry and each contains its own floral and vine decoration, while the rim is further enriched with floral scrollwork.

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