Bowl with design in reserve, 1426-1435, Ming dynasty, Xuande reign. Porcelain with cobalt under colorless glaze. H: 8.7 W: 18.7 cm. Jingdezhen, China. Purchase F1951.4.Freer/Sackler © 2014 Smithsonian Institution

Fifteenth-century blue-and-white porcelains are among the most memorable and influential of all Chinese ceramics. A Yuan dynasty, fourteenth-century approach to creating a design in reserve against a solid background was revived to great effect in the Xuande reign. The cobalt decoration of the period often appears blue-black, as it does here in the dark washes that alternate with paler areas, and the cobalt sometimes takes on a slightly blurred or fuzzy texture. The sensibility of many porcelain decorations in the Xuande period, including this design, bear a close affinity to textile patterns and serves as a reminder of the close links among many of the Ming arts.

The unpainted motifs-lotuses outside and seasonal flowers inside-in their snowy brilliance reveal the Xuande potters'technical accomplishment in removing virtually all impurities from the clay. The hibiscus in the well of this bowl is associated with wishes for immortality in traditional Chinese lore.