Dish with dragons

One of the monochrome glazes of the Qing period was the aubergine type, distinct from the dark blue or turquoise blue glazes of the Ming dynasty in its purplish tonality. On the interior of this dish, the dragons galloping in clouds playing with pearls were incised in nine medallion at the bottom and two on sides. The lustrous, smooth glaze is slightly thinner around the lip and shows a dark purple at the thickly coated bottom. The stability and evenness of aubergine glaze were generally obtained later in the eighteenth century.