Measurements: Mouth Dia. 21.1 cm, Base Dia. 9 cm, H. 9.5 cm
Period: Ming dynasty (1638-1644)
Provenance: Acquired upon the governmental notice.

The bowl features a wide flaring mouth, deep belly, ring foot, and both the interior and exterior were white glazed, the interior was impressed with sprays of lotus. With simple form, fine craftsmanship, and being evenly glazed, the bowl was identified to be from the official kilns of the early Ming dynasty.

Covered by the high-temperature transparent glaze, the white ceramic was initially produced in the Northern dynasty, and was greatly developed in Tang, Song, Yuan dynasties; during the Ming dynasty, it was still used as daily utensils and sacrificial wares. Those from the Xunde period were well known for “Thick slip looks like the wax, being shining and glittering as the superb jade articles”, fully epitomized by the present example, it is presumably from the imperial kiln of the Xuande period, thus it is of great significance to the study of the firing technique of the white ceramics in Ming dynasty.