Japanese Lion-Dog Dinner Plate from The Met Museum

This generously sized, 11″ dinner plate features a blue-and-white motif of a komainu, or lion-dog, the hybrid creature that guards the entrance to Shinto shrines in Japan. A practice that first flowered in China in the 14th century, the painting of cobalt blue on porcelain had a profound effect on global ceramics that lasted for centuries. This plate’s classic design coordinates well with other tableware.