4. Green-glazed stoneware dish

Northern Song dynasty, 960 - 1127
Yaozhou kilns, Shaanxi province
Diameter: 16.2cm
 
The very large multi-petalled peony bloom shaped almost like a beehive at the centre of the present dish is characteristic of the decoration of a small group of Yaozhou bowls and dishes. The peony is a favourite motif in Chinese ceramics, paintings and the decorative arts. Originally it was grown in the imperial gardens during the Sui and Tang dynasties and therefore became known as the ‘flower of wealth and rank’, referred to in Chinese as fuguihua.