Tea bowl

The tea bowl is complete. It is circular in shape. In profile, the bowl has an upwardly flaring wall topped by a straight rim. The lower part of the wall is curved towards the bottom, which is flat. The bowl rests on a small annular foot. The outer rim of the foot is beveled and free of glaze. The bottom is flat and recessed. The decoration covers the outer face of the bowl, as well as the inner rim, wall and bottom. The decoration is of the Chinese or Oriental garden type and is treated in Imari, and of the external brown plaster type, known as Batavia. It is hand-painted in two-tone blue underglaze, then traced and painted in iron red, with gold highlights, over glaze. The braid below 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, bordered by two leaves traced and painted in blue with gold, and set between arched lines traced and painted in blue. The second element is a double latticework traced in blue. The background decoration is based on a terrace traced in blue and painted in faded red, with a tuft of grass traced in blue. The central element is a fence with two vertical posts, traced and painted in blue with gilding; the panels are adorned with vertical bars traced in red. A leafy stem, traced and painted red, grows behind the fence. The fence is bordered by leafy stems traced and painted blue with gilding, which support flowers, including a large central one, traced and painted red with gilding; some leaves are traced and painted blue with gilding, while others are traced red with veins. The entire outer surface is covered with a shiny, iron-based brown coating, which also covers the top of the rim. The decoration on the inner base is partially obliterated.