Bowl

The bowl is complete, with a crack. The bowl is circular, with a flared rim and plain rim, and a sloping wall curving towards the flat bottom. On the reverse, it rests on a massive ring-shaped foot, whose beveled base is free of glaze. The bottom is recessed and flat. The decoration covers the inside of the bowl, i.e. the inner rim and bottom. The decoration is of the Chinese or Oriental garden type and is treated in Imari. It is hand-painted in two-tone blue underglaze, then traced and painted in iron red, with gold highlights, over glaze. The braid under the inner edge is traced in blue and outlined with a fillet. It is composed of two alternately repeated elements. One element is a vegetal motif traced and painted in red on a line traced in blue, bordered by two leaves traced and painted in blue with gold, and set between inclined lines traced and painted in blue with gold. The second element is a double trellis with spikes traced in blue, and adorned with a small central flower traced and painted in blue with gilding. The background decoration rests on a wavy terrace traced and painted in faded blue. The central element is a large rock with a hole in it, symbolizing the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, traced and painted in blue with gold highlights; near its top, there are two rectangular, horizontal shapes, painted in faded red. Around the rock, flowers are traced and painted in red. To the left, there’s a leafy stem traced in blue supporting a large flower traced and painted in red with gilding; some leaves are traced and painted in blue with gilding, while the others are traced in red with veins. To the right is a leafy stem traced and painted blue with gilding, topped with flowers traced and painted red, and a flower traced blue and painted red; this is followed by a leafy, flowery stem similar to the one on the left. At the foot of this is a fence with two vertical posts, traced and painted in blue with gilding; the panels are adorned with vertical lines traced in red. The top of the bowl is covered with a ferruginous plaster painted a very pale brown. Some areas of the decoration have been partially erased.