Chinese Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain bowl. With simply gently rounded side emerging steeply to a slightly everted rim, raised on the concave footed ring base. The exterior hand-painted in cobalt-blue depicted dragons within scrolling floral blooms chasing the flaming pearl. Double blue fine rings banded on the foot base and upper mouth rim. The immaculate porcelain body covered with a characteristic silky glaze, pooling on the base slightly veiling the mark. A characteristic heaped and piled effect, the underglaze grayish-blue concentrates in certain areas, bubbling through the surface of the glaze and turning a deep blue-black. This inadvertently gave texture, energy, and shading to the design. The shape is uniformly proportioned.
Mark on the countersunk base, a vertical six underglazed blue script characters reign mark, enclosed within double fine rings, Made in The Years of Wanli Reign Period of Great Ming Dynasty. Measurements: Height: 3 1/8" Diameter: 5 5/8"