D: 11.5 cm
H: 4.8 cm

This dish has a very broad mouth, a short round foot, and a wide, curved belly. The interior bottom has a somewhat oval center, and where the glaze has been scraped away, the brownish body is visible. On the outside, a decorative pattern runs along the edge of the mouth, while the vessel’s interior is engraved with floral designs. The main motif are two intertwined broken-branch-style peony flowers whose petals are arranged in layers, creating an impression of full bloom. This dominant design is further accentuated by intertwining leaves and branches that fill up all the lower interior’s remaining space. An olive celadon glaze is applied to the whole dish, with the finish thicker in the receding parts of the ornamental design, making for sharper contours and a shade-like effect. During the Northern Song, Yaozhou ware was a designated tribute item of that area, and in the remains of the Yao Kiln pottery shards were found with reign titles engraved on them, such as Xining, Daguan, and Zhenghe. This explains the mostly elegant and sophisticated design of such ware.