A Zhangzhou 'Swatow' blue and white charger

The interior of the dish is decorated with two deer under pine, with a bird in flight. The scene is surrounded by a border of flowers, trees and patterned panels. The reverse with stylised decoration.

Catalogue notes: Zhangzhou wares, traditionally called Swatow wares, were in general a group of export wares made for the Southeast Asian market in the late Ming dynasty. Popular subjects include animals, such as deer and birds, landscapes, and flowers, and many parallels can be seen in the design of contemporaneous blue and white 'Kraak porselein' made for European export.