Dimensions: 1-1/4" H x 6-3/4" Dia. Chinese Ming Dynasty Period, Iron red Dragon sgraffito monochrome plate. Thick potted with a shallow body, of a shallow vessel, broad wide cavetto, with a slightly flared lip and shallow draft. All reserved hand painted ornamentations are rendered in iron red monochrome underglaze base color which contrast against the sgraffito design color. The Inner mouth rim adorned with meticulous finish sgraffito dragon carving beneath the attractive pale grey monochrome glazed covers the delicate clay, showing silky smooth sheen and conforming the snarling huge imperial dragon careening through cumulus clouds above thrashing Li-Shui waves in a iron red color dragon squama rounded the bowls. The Inner center decorated with cumulus clouds. Dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, eternity, Yang and Yin, male vigor and fecundity, the Li-Shui wave pattern which is known to be the abode of dragons. The dragon is also the most important of the four super natural creatures in Chinese mythology, ranked with the Phoenix, the Qilin, and the Tortoise. The dragon is also the symbol of the month March, of Spring and of rebirth and fertility for it brings the rain bearing clouds of spring. When shown with the heavenly pearl, sometimes ball, it represents thunder and the storm. Emblem of vigilance and safety, and frequently associated with the idea of joy. The immaculate porcelain body covered with a characteristic silky glaze. The color is balanced, elegant and exquisite. This inadvertently gave texture, energy, and shading to the design. The clay is very fine, with a brilliant glaze finish that was applied by a meticulous, the shape is uniformly proportioned.