Plate

Porcelain blue and white hawthorn plate. Round shallow shape with fine white textured and early Da Qing Dynasty porcelain with deep and brilliant cobalt blue underglaze decoration. The center displays a prunus tree (mei-hua) with its blossoms in white reserve against the cumulus blue ground, including cross hatched reticulations in the conventional form of fissured ice (symbolizing the breaking up of winter). The border, with similar blue ground, is relieved by white blossom sprays of the prunus tree. The reverse panel in white is marked by a double ring.