Dish on footring, wide flat rim. Decorated in underglaze blue. In the centre a landscape with a river and a boat, high rocks, pavilions on rocky plateaux, a fortress, a bridge with a horseman and his servant, a pagoda and a pine tree with nesting herons. The sides undecorated, on the rim a river with water plants, lotuses, and a standing white heron alternating with a flying heron in blue. On the outside of the rim six lotus scrolls. On the outside of the sides four leafy climbing vines{?J} and a squirrel, around the foot a spiral band. The base is unglazed. Similar large dishes with a decoration comprising relatively loosely connected groups were apparently a popular export item, as they occur in great numbers outside China; see, for instance, the Topkapi Collection in Istanbul (Krahl & Ayers) and the Santos Palace in Lisbon (Lion-Goldschmidt 1984). Mostly landscapes are represented, with deer or ducks, while the rims have a river scene, as here, or a similar landscape in the centre. By leaving the sides plain, the centre decoration becomes the focus of attention. Many of the motifs seen here occur in less complex arrangements on kraak porcelain.