Dish; China for Portuguese export; Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573-1619). Kraak porcelain.

Dish; China for Portuguese export; Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573-1619).
Kraak porcelain.
Provenance: private collection conceived since the 1970s between London and Madrid.
Measurements: 28 cm (diameter).
Dish made of enamelled porcelain designed for Portuguese export. The piece shows a design in the usual white and blue so characteristic of this type of pieces, with figurative motifs in the centre as it presents a landscape scene featuring birds. The Alero is divided into cartouches, all of which are decorated. Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain is a type of Chinese export porcelain produced mainly in the late Ming dynasty, in the reign of Wanli (1573-1620), but also in Tianqi (1620-1627) and Chongzhen (1627-1644). It was one of the first Chinese export items to arrive in Europe in large quantities and was frequently featured in Dutch Golden Age still-life paintings.