A blue and white 'crane and phoenix' dish mark and period of Jiajing

with shallow curved sides rising from an unglazed footring, painted in varying shades of pale underglaze-blue to the interior with a central medallion enclosing a phoenix mid-flight amid cloud scrolls, all within double line borders, the sides decorated with four quatrelobed cartouches enclosing a shou character, each separated by a crane flying amid further cloud scrolls, the exterior decorated with a continuous leafy meander of lingzhi fungus, all within double line borders, the base with the six-character mark in underglaze-blue within double circles

The dish is of excellent condition with glossy and clean glaze. The number of pinhole is very limited and the mouth rim and footrim do not have any frits, burst bubbles or iron spots. There are only very few minor surface scratches on the outside wall.