Covered box with Buddhist emblems. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration. Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province 江西省, 景德鎮. Ming dynasty, Xuande mark and period, AD 1426–35. On loan from Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. PDF B668 © Trustees of the British Museum

Height: 97 mm. Diameter: 196 mm. Round porcelain porcelain box. Underglaze blue on top with the Eight Buddhist emblems on lotus flowers scrolling around a centralised stylised flower head composed of a Buddhist wheel circled by lotus petals. Similar scrolling emblems on plinths around the sides. Bands of detached flower heads around edges of top and bottom half.

This round box has a flat-topped cover and is decorated in deep tones of underglaze blue. The cover, edge of the cover and tray are painted with the Eight Buddhist Emblems surrounded by flowering lotus scroll. These emblems are the endless knot, lotus flower, canopy, conch shell, treasure vase, wheel of the law, twin fish and banner or standard of victory. 

Bibliographic reference: Medley, Margaret, Volume 7: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 7 of 12, Tokyo, Kodansha ltd, 1975

Medley, Margaret, Illustrated Catalogue of Underglaze Blue and Copper Red Decorated Porcelains, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1976

Pierson, Stacey, Illustrated Catalogue of Underglaze Blue and Copper Red Decorated Porcelains in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 2004