Bowl, 1426-1435, Ming dynasty, Xuande reign. Porcelain with cobalt decoration under colorless glaze. H: 7.0 W: 19.1 cm. Jingdezhen, China. Purchase F1953.1. Freer/Sackler © 2014 Smithsonian Institution

Two women and their attendants stroll through a garden containing ornamental rocks and large plants; thick clouds half-conceal the adjacent building. Such landscapes are sometimes said to represent the mythical land of the Daoist immortals, but the story is likely to have a more specific topic and may illustrate a famous poem or drama. Today it is often impossible to recognize the theme. The painting has a slightly hazy quality that is typical of many Xuande wares and may result from the presence of air bubbles in the glaze.

Reign marks written in cobalt beneath the glaze, like the one seen here (see previous page), first began to be common on imperial wares in the Xuande period, but they were not mandatory. The style of the writing was based on the calligraphy of a favored Ming-court artist named Shen Du (1357–1434).