Dish

The classical use of green and purple decoration on a yellow ground survived on late Qing imperial wares. Except for the inscription written in black, every element here is incised and painted with green, a design that emerged on Ming imperial ware and was maintained here. A pair of dragons, one in purple and the other in green, facing a pearl in the clouds, are enclosed in a medallion on the inside bottom. The exterior was painted with four green cranes alternating with cloud heads. To wish both empire and the emperor eternal life, the dragon and crane motif was invariably used throughout the Qing dynasty.