Thinly potted and decorated in the richest underglaze cobalt blue, this pair of generously-sized scalloped rim plates measure 10″ in diameter and are hand-painted with a central scene of a mounted man and woman  out hunting within a landscape, all within a rim bordered with “penciled” stylized lotus. The reverse also with stylized lotus around the rim and centered with a Chenghua mark. Illustrated and discussed in David Howard’s book, The Choice of the Private Trader, page 42, where he notes that the Chenghua mark (1465-1487) was not intended as a forgery, but rather a compliment to the quality of the piece, and, was used to replace the Kangxi mark as the emperor had forbidden the use of his name on porcelain for export after 1782.  Other than the usual minor rim frits one expects with pieces of this age, they are in excellent condition. Circa 1690. Ex-Mario Buatta Collection. $1450. each