Bowl. Stoneware, porcelain-type, with celadon glaze. Longquan ware 龍泉窯. Longquan region, Zhejiang province 浙江省, 龍泉地區. Ming dynasty, about AD 1368–1435. On loan from Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. PDF A213 © Trustees of the British Museum

Height: 48 mm. Diameter: 159 mm. Longquan ware porcelain bowl. The bowl has a fine pale grey body and thick grey-green glaze. There is a visvavajra lightly impressed in the centre of the interior. Where exposed the body is reddish. The base and footring are unglazed.

This bowl is lightly impressed with a design of crossed vajra beneath a thick celadon glaze. This design, is known as visvavajra. The vajra symbolises the Buddhist thunderbolt. Similar dishes have been found in early Ming tombs and were also exported.

Bibliographic reference: Medley, Margaret, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1977

Pierson, Stacey, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1997