Tea bowl

The tea bowl is complete; some breaks have been repaired with glue. It is circular in shape. In profile, the bowl has a wall that flares out at the top and is 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 is molded and hand-painted in blue underglaze and gold overglaze. The decoration is of the scenic lake type. The molded decoration is visible on the wall, which is undulated, and continues to the rim. The inner rim is adorned with a complex blue-painted decoration. It comprises a row of small vertical lines. This is followed by a blue-painted braid featuring a row of eight-pointed stars. This is followed by a braid with a wavy base and inclined lines. Gilding has been added on the top and under the inner edge. There is also a gold-painted fillet under the star-trimmed braid. Another gold fillet is painted under the last blue braid, bordering a row of semicircles with a central pearl. The background features a small grassy rock emerging from a body of water. The main decoration on the outer wall is an island supporting a pagoda with an annex and a landing stage; a person stands at the window of the annex. The island is flanked by trees, including a willow. A small two-arch bridge joins this island to a small rocky island with trees; a small lean-to with a sloping roof has been erected here. Two other islands occupy the remaining part of the bowl, one with a pagoda and the other with a house and high mountains. Two small boats sail between the islands. A fillet of gilding adorns the outer wall of the foot.