Bowl with dragons, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Zhengde emperor (1506-1521). Porcelain with underglaze-blue and overglaze enamel decoration.  H. 2 7/8 in x Diam. 5 1/4 in, H. 7.3 cm x Diam. 13.4 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1578 © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

The combination of underglaze-blue and overglaze monochrome has its origins in experimentations of the early Ming period. Until the middle Ming, underglaze-blue with polychrome had made fantastic appearances in blue with red, green, yellow, or more colors. This piece illustrates an imperial type that combined underglaze and overglaze decoration painted over incised waves. The dragon, enclosed in seven cloud heads, is painted in green enamel and framed on the interior by underglaze-blue circles, while the four dragons chasing each other over waves is bordered by a floral band above on the exterior.