Bowl

Chenghua era, 1465-1487

China, Jiangxi Province

Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue (Jingdezhen ware)

H. 2 1/2 x Diam. 6 in. (6.4 x 15.2 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.171

Some of the thinnest porcelain bodies made during the Ming period were produced during the reign of the Chenghua emperor (reigned 1465 - 1487), and with their refined bodies, they are considered some of the finest Chinese porcelains ever made. Bowls such as this one painted with stylized lotuses belong to a category known as "palace bowls." The decoration on this bowl is exquisitely rendered, and it is covered with a thinner and smoother glaze than was used on earlier porcelains. Such bowls, which have subtly rounded sides and small, high foot rims, appear to have been produced exclusively during the reign of the Chenghua emperor. The six-character reign mark appears on the base of the bowl.