Page 76 - Kraak Porcelain, Jorge Welsh

56 Bowl
Ming dynasty, Chongzhen
period ( - )
Chinese porcelain decorated
in underglaze cobalt blue
Height; cm;
diameter: . cm
A large, heavily potted bowl with deep rounded sides,
slightly foliated rim and a thick tapering foot ring. It
is decorated in deep shades of cobalt blue beneath a
brilliant blue-tinged glaze. Inside it is decorated with a
central medallion enclosing a narrative scene depicting
an o cial dressed in long robes and an attendant
holding a vase on a tray on a terrace with a balustrade
beneath mountains and clouds, all enclosed within a
double ring. The rounded sides are divided into three
wide and narrow radiating panels. The wide lappet-
shaped panels are delicately painted with narrative
scenes depicting Chinese wood gatherers walking with
loads on their shoulders, two scholars dressed in long
robes beside a balustrade and banana plantain, and a
scholar and an attendant walking beside a balustrade;
the narrow panels are painted with upright sprays of
stylized flowers with undulating foliage, all reserved on
a ground of washed blue. The motifs are all painted with
fine lines and washes of paint. The outside is divided into not show a decorative border encircling the narrative
six wide and narrow panels. The wide panels are sub-
divided into bracket-lobed panels painted with various
narrative scenes depicting Chinese figures, houses of
European style, rowing boats and swimming ducks, and
are framed on three sides by narrow scroll borders. Each
panel is surmounted at the top by a stylized flower with
scrolling foliage. The narrow panels are painted with
sprays of stylized flowers with sti leaves. A continuous
border of scrolling flowers and leaves encircles the
foot ring. The recessed base is slightly convex and is
marked by concentric lines and is glazed. The foot ring is
unglazed. Coarse sand from the kiln adheres to areas of
the foot ring
Even though the form of this bowl is identical to an
example from the Wanli/Tianqi period ( - )
discussed in entry no. , its painted decoration is much
more elaborate. Like that of the dish discussed in entry
no. , it is arranged with the characteristic kraak border
of radiating panels alternately depicting narrative
scenes with figures in landscapes and stylized flowers in
Transitional style.
The interior decoration of this bowl is unusual. In
contrast with the more common decorative composition
seen in the example with Transitional style decoration
discussed in entry no. , its sides are divided into
three wide and narrow panels instead of six and it does
scene of the central medallion. The wide panels are
finely painted with di erent narrative scenes depicting
Chinese men standing in landscapes. The narrow panels
are painted with upright sprays of stylized flowers. Both
the wide and narrow panels are reserved on a washed
blue ground. The exterior decoration, however, follows
the typical decorative composition of this type of bowl.
It consists of six wide panels painted with various river
landscape scenes with figures, boats and swimming
ducks framed by narrow scroll borders and surmounted