This Ming‑period stoneware dish shows off the era’s love of crisp, sculptural lines. Its wide, low profile flares into a barbed rim—those gently pointed lobes that catch both light and shadows and give the piece a petal‑like silhouette. The body is covered in a smooth, creamy‑white glaze. Previously it had some overglaze decoration, likely in red, which has now washed away, but a silhouette remains. The unglazed ring in the center is where the kiln support would have sat during firing.
Dishes like this were everyday workhorses in refined households, sturdy enough for regular use yet elegant enough to grace a scholar’s table. The pure white surface served as a neutral stage while the barbed rim added a subtle flourish. Today, its understated form and soft sheen still feel effortlessly modern—proof that Ming artisans understood the power of simplicity centuries before minimalism had a name.
Condition: Nice condition with loss to overglaze decoration
