Mug

The stein is complete; broken, the handle has been glued back into place. It is cylindrical in shape, with a high, straight bowl topped by a straight rim with a thinned top. The wall is domed and rests on an annular foot, the fulcrum of which is free of glaze. The underside of the base is recessed and flat. It is fitted with a vertical handle of oval cross-section, with a pointed tail in its lower portion ; The decoration is molded and hand-painted in blue underglaze. The molded decoration can be seen on the neck, in the form of superimposed horizontal swellings. Barely perceptible to the touch, it appears to be of the An Hua type. Painted decoration is visible on the outside and on the handle. The outer rim is decorated with a fillet bordering a row of spearhead-like motifs pointing downwards. The junction of shoulder and neck is decorated with a row of oval spirals. The wall is decorated with three groups of leafy, flowering stems. The group on the wall opposite the handle is more massive and features a rock with a hole in it, symbolizing the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. The rendering is blurred. The base of the wall is decorated with a fillet. On either side of the cove, the wall is adorned with a blue-painted wavy leaf. The outside of the handle is decorated with a leafy, flowering stem.