Blue and White Bowl

This rice bowl, painted with varied shades of underglaze cobalt blue, is decorated with aquatic flora and fauna. Storks are depicted as they wade and hunt on the bank of a lake or river filled with lotus flowers and clustered water reeds. The inside of the bowl is painted with a medallion of lotus flowers while a band of lotus scrolls decorate the inner rim. The painter applied the cobalt blue in a variety of techniques, utilizing thin line and dark wash. High quality porcelain, glaze, pigment, and artistry of the Kangxi reign (1662-1722¬) resulted in adventurous and varied painting techniques, sometimes emulating the effects of watercolor on paper.