Plate with Reserved Plum Blossoms

Reserved into the paste of the porcelain of this plate are branches of plum blossoms. The saucer shaped plate contains three large six-petalled blooms on twiggy meandering stems with lobed leaves. Around the cavetto, or border of the plate, the design is repeated. Raised veins in areas of white add detail and texture to the flowers and leaves. The white designs stand out brightly against a rich speckled blue cobalt ground beneath the glaze. The year 1683 during the Kangxi reign (1662-1722) marks the return of the Imperial production of porcelain and the reinstitution of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. A revival of imperial blue and white porcelain in the Qing dynasty resulted in superbly crafted porcelains with well combined body, glaze, cobalt pigment, and skillful decoration. Refined blue cobalt allowed for adventurous and varied painting techniques.