Saucer with "fruit spray", Interregnum period

The trade between Ayutthaya and China was of great importance during the Ayutthaya period. The goods exported from China to Siam included ceramics, silk, tea, salt, etc., while the goods exported from Siam to China included teak, animal skins, pepper, etc. The trade between the two countries was conducted through the tributary system. Siam would send tribute to the Chinese emperor every year, and China would reciprocate by sending back tribute.

The saucer was produced during the Interregnum period in China, which corresponds to the Jingtai reign (景泰) in the late Ming dynasty. During this time, the production of ceramics by private kilns was scarce, and trade with foreign countries was in a period of "Ming Gap" when China prohibited trade with foreign countries. The exchange of goods during this period was therefore conducted in the form of state-to-state tributary trade missions. The goods exported to various countries, including Siam, were the same as those in the normal tributary trade. However, during the Jingtai reign and the early part of the Zhengtong reign, this type of trade was stagnant or minimal.

The saucer is decorated with cobalt blue (Sulimani) which produces a sapphire blue color similar to that used in the Yuan dynasty. The pattern is of leafy motifs, some of which are interpreted as fruit. The leaves at the end of the vine are drawn with pointed tips, which is a characteristic of the painters of the two reigns.

This piece was made in Jingdezhen. Judging from the pattern and the beautiful brushwork, it is likely to be a piece of porcelain in the tribute set sent to the Siamese king in the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat (1448-1488). There is evidence that the Siamese king sent four diplomatic missions to China during this period, and the relationship between the two countries was good. The saucer was found in Nakhon Sawan Province and measures 20 cm in diameter.

Sources:

"Yu Sheng Tai" (MING GAP AND THE REVIVAL OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN IN CHINA), published in Beijing, China; November 2004

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borommatrailokkanat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–Thailand_relations