Double gourd-shaped vase, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with lotus scrolls, China, Ming dynasty, late 15th-early 16th century. Height: 16.8 cm, Diameter: 10.5 cm. C.6-1928. © V&A Images.

Porcelain vase, double gourd-shaped. Painted in underglaze blue on each bulging body with a wide band of lotus blossoms and scrolling foliage; between them a band of volutes with teeth above and below, a band of classic scrolls and a band of trellis-work. At the bottom, a band of scroll-work. At the top, a band of meander pattern and a band of sceptre-heads (ruyi), separated by an undulating line. Base unglazed. 

The first Ming emperor overthrew Mongol rule in 1368. The new dynasty swept away much that was associated with the Yuan emperors. But blue-and-white porcelain survived. Several Ming emperors favoured these wares and helped to make blue-and-white porcelain a great Chinese tradition. Many of the new shapes and designs they sponsored also found favour abroad.