Chinese 16 Century Ming Swatow (Zhangzhou, Fujian) Porcelain Plate with a rare design of 2 turquoise Dragons and a central turquoise bird on iron-red rocks, green enamel leaves and with large iron-red flowers. Good condition with 1 small glaze flake to outside edge. Diameter 14 1/2 inches (36.8 cm.). PROVENANCE: Collection of Captain S.N. Ferris Luboshez, US Navy retIred, Luboshez bought the bulk of his collection in China from 1945 to 1949 and this dish remained in his collection until 1982; sold from the Luboshez Auction Sotheby's New York, 18th November 1982, lot 95; to the Collection of Frieda & Milton Rosenthal, sold from the Rosenthal Auction Sotheby's, New York, 16th September 2008, lot 223. Sotheby's 2008 Catalogue Note: "A slightly larger dish with closely related decoration was sold at Christie's London, 23rd June 1980, lot 32; and another with two peonies and paneled rim design was sold at Christie's New York, 28-29th June 1984, lot 548. Compare also with a similarly decorated dish in the Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, illustrated in Barbara Harrison, "Swatow in Het Princessehof, Leeuwarden," 1979, pl. 194. Dishes of this type but painted with two phoenix are more commonly known, for example, see one in the Percival David Foundation published in Margaret Medley, The Chinese Potter, Oxford, 1976, col. pl. VII; and another sold in our London rooms, 6th June 1995, lot 219."