Bowl with dragons, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Hongzhi emperor (1488-1505), Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Glazed porcelain with incised decoration unglazed. H. 9.2 cm x Diam. 19.7 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2079. © 2026 Asian Art Museum

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On the outside of the bowl, two dragons playing with a pearl in clouds are set off by hidden wave patterns. The reserve decorations with incised passages depicting the dragon's bodies bear a pinkish color. This is the result of iron-oxidization, which on the white-glazed ground presents an impressive effect. This piece is very possibly unfinished, with the glaze ready for the application of overglaze pigments, which began in the early fifteenth century. The attenuated bodies of the dragons, with their narrow necks, are typical of this period of manufacture.