Scene & Poem (Marked "Jade Trinket") - This porcelain plate is elaborately decorated in underglazed blue with an ornate riverscape scene. The scene depicts a cottage on a hillside with a departing row boat and an onlooker on the opposite shore. The plate also has a poem in the top center along with an artemisia leaf. The bottom of the plate bears the two character "Ngoan ngoc" marking meaning "jade trinket". This very high quality porcelain was ordered from China for the court use. Although Chinese artisans executed the painting, Vietnamese rulers dictated the designs. Each ruler ordered ceramics of his own liking for use in his court, as well as presentation pieces to give to members of royal families and mandarin officials. This is an absolutely stunning investment piece that truly belongs in a museum. This piece has excellent investment potential, as it is thought by experts around the world and avid collectors that due to the rapid modernization of Vietnam, Vietnamese antiques will within the next ten years be more valuable than Chinese antiques. According to some of the most expert collectors in the world, what used to sell for hundreds are now selling for tens of thousands. Measurements: 7" in diameter.