Yongle-Period Blue-and-White Dish

What it is

This shallow porcelain dish has a scalloped rim and is painted in blue and white with floral scrolls and peony-like blossoms, bordered by cloud and scroll patterns. It was made during the Yongle period and is now exhibited at the Östasiatiska museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Why it matters

Dishes like this show the high level of craftsmanship achieved in imperial porcelain workshops during Yongle's reign and how such wares later traveled far from China into museum collections abroad.

Look closer

• What do the floral and cloud patterns tell us about the artistic style valued at the Ming court?
• How might an object like this have traveled from China to a museum in Sweden?
• What does the dish not tell us about who originally owned or used it?