Ming Dynasty Swatow Ware Porcelain Dish fragment This ritual practice underscores the

This ritual practice underscores the figure's role as a mediator between the earthly and spiritual realms

known as a lukwakongo

A border of vertical lines and raised dots adds texture and visual interest around the filling hole

This needle

as it highlights the sophisticated use of color and symbolism in Nariño art

Ming Dynasty Swatow Ware Porcelain Dish fragment This ritual practice underscores theLate Ming Dynasty, c. 16101640 AD, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China A superb large blue and white Swatow (Zhangzhou) ware dish, boldly painted in a soft grayish blue palette with traditional motifs. The center features a stylized Fu () character symbolizing good fortune, encircled by a characteristic biscuited brown band. The reverse is adorned with four concentric rings painted in underglaze blue. Produced in the coastal kilns of