Bowl

Xuande era, 1426-1435

China, Jiangxi Province

Porcelain with incised design under glaze (Jingdezhen ware)

H. 4 x Diam. 8 1/8 in. (10.2 x 20.6 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.161

Plantain leaves decorate the exterior of this Xuande-period bowl, while the interior is plain except for chrysanthemum flowers incised into the bottom. The glaze on the piece has a slight blue-green tinge. This color becomes apparent where the glaze pooled into the incised decoration, making the designs easier to see. A six-character reign mark, written in underglaze blue, is inscribed in a double circle on the inside of the bowl's footring. Marks of this type, which appear frequently on Chinese ceramics manufactured at the Jingdezhen kilns, attest to the extent of imperial patronage and control of the ceramic industry from the early 15th century through the 19th century. The widespread use of reign marks in the mid- and late 15th century denotes the elevated status of ceramics, which during this period became even more important as objects of imperial patronage and symbols of imperial taste.