A Chinese Imperial plate, finely painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a central medallion depicting four boys in a fenced garden, three seated on the ground around a group of archaic vessels while the fourth stands, holding a cup. The scene is set amidst rockwork, flowering plants, a plantain tree and stylised clouds beneath a mountainous landscape, all enclosed within a double-line medallion repeated at the rim. The exterior is decorated with four pairs of boys at play (yingxi tu) in a continuous landscape with pine trees, rockwork, plantain and lingzhi fungus, one flying a butterfly kite, one spinning tops and another holding a windmill, between double-line borders. The yingxi tu motif was a popular decorative theme during the Ming dynasty, symbolising the wish for many sons - particularly accomplished sons who would achieve distinction through success in the imperial civil service examinations. The base is inscribed with a six-character Jiajing mark in underglaze cobalt blue and of the period.

此件御製青花盤，盤心雙圈內繪庭院嬰戲圖，四名童子嬉戲於圍欄庭院之中，其中三人席地圍坐於一組仿古器皿旁，另一人站立，手持杯盞。四周山石、花木、芭蕉與流雲掩映，遠處峰巒起伏；口沿亦以青花雙圈收邊。

盤背通景繪四組童子嬉戲，兩兩成組，活動於松樹、山石、芭蕉及靈芝之間。童子或放蝴蝶形風箏，或抽陀螺，另有一人手持風車，畫面活潑生動，上下以青花雙弦紋為界。

嬰戲圖是明代頗為流行的裝飾題材，寄託多子多福之願，尤其寓意子孫成才，通過科舉考取功名、光耀門楣。底部青花書「大明嘉靖年製」六字款。

Reference:
An identical example is in The Metropolitan Museum, New York, object no. 17.118.10. (link) For other similar examples, see: 'Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (II), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum', vol. 35, p. 137, no. 126; and Bo Gyllensvärd and Jan Wirgin, 'Ming Blue-and-White: From Swedish Collections', p. 71, no. 43.