Sörensen Dragon Plate - Top 5

The Sörensen Dragon Plate has unique and significant historical background information. 1. Original Owner Information: * The plate is named after Salomon Sörensen (1856-1937), a prominent Danish architect who was its former owner. His collecting activities reflect the European interest and appreciation of Oriental art during that period. 2. Production Period and Craftsmanship Features: * This plate was created during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, a peak in Chinese celadon development when firing techniques were mature and quality was excellent. The plate features a typical early Ming large plate form with an arched belly, wide base, and shallow outline feet. * The craftsmanship is extremely intricate, with the entire piece decorated in celadon. The center features a dragon standing in profile within double circles, depicted using negative space technique against turbulent sea waves. Only the dragon's eyes are dotted in celadon, and the surrounding flames are also expressed through negative space. 3. Artistic Style and Cultural Significance: * From an artistic perspective, the white dragon pattern in the center created through negative space is extremely rare, following the Song-Yuan tradition of three-clawed dragons. The dragon's form is vivid and powerful, contrasting beautifully against the celadon sea background. * Culturally, the dragon holds an extremely important position in Chinese culture as a symbol of imperial authority. The dragon pattern on this plate embodies Ming court aesthetics and cultural concepts. 4. Historical Heritage and Rarity: * After being treasured in Europe for about a century, the Sörensen Dragon Plate has recently returned to China. Due to its difficult firing process, very few examples exist. Apart from two examples in Iran's National Museum and one Xuande-marked piece in the Shanghai Museum, this is the only complete plate of comparable quality.