Basin with dragons, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Xuande emperor (1426-1435), China, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze-blue decoration, qinghua ware. H. 4 7/8 in x Diam. 10 5/8 in, H. 12.4 cm x Diam. 27 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2384. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Larger than the regular bowls which were a part of table sets, this shape was probably used at court or temples for the rituals of the monarchy. This piece displays an imperial-style motif, consisting of a five-clawed dragon running in clouds bordered by wavy patterns above and lotus panels below. Most bowls of this type bear conventional motifs. The interior of the basins were left unglazed or glazed, the former carried the six-character mark on the outside, and the latter on the interior bottom, as seen on this piece. A recent discovery of this type of bowl with an unglazed interior from the Jingdezhen kiln site was ornamented with identical decorations (Urban Council 1989: 251).