Large plate with elegant blue decoration with floral movements and central medallion with a phoenix in flight among flowering plants. The bottom, characterized by a double foot and partially enamelled, has a circular band decorated with stylized phytomorphic motifs, which frames the six-character mark of Tianqi (1621-1627), penultimate emperor of the Ming dynasty. The characteristic washed-out blue and the rough style of the design testify to the period of decline in which the imperial kilns had fallen at the beginning of the 17th century. The time-lapse between 1620 and 1683, defined as the years of the "transition", is a long interregnum characterized by a discontinuous production, at times rough, but by no means missing fascinating features and strong personality. It was only under Kangxi, in the second half of the 17th century, that the court, with the appointment of Zang Yingxuan as director of imperial ateliers (1682-1700), would regain full control over the kilns, once again guaranteeing the high quality standards of the ancient Ming production.