China
Plate with peony scrolls
Ming dynasty, mark and reign of Yongle 
(1403­24)
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration
ht.: 8 cm; diam.: 41 cm
Gift of Russell Tyson, 1954.463

The Ming dynasty (1366­1644) was one of the finest periods in Chinese porcelain production. The blue-and-white dishes of the Ming period are particularly famous. If you could touch this dish, it would feel very smooth, and if you struck it lightly with your fingernail, it would ring like a bell.

There are three different designs on the dish. A center pattern of chrysanthemum blossoms and swirling branches is surrounded by a circular pattern of flowering vines. The third pattern is ocean waves. Where is it?