Bidspirit auction | Blue-and-White Dragon Water Bowl

Blue-and-White Dragon Water Bowl - Blue-and-White Dragon Water Bowl China, probably Ming Dynasty, Yongle period or later. Porcelain, painted in underglaze blue. H. 9 cm, D. approx. 13.8 cm. Round-walled water bowl with encircling decoration of sea waves and a powerfully executed dragon motif in blue-and-white painting. No base mark. Provenance: Old German private collection. Condition: Very well preserved with age- and use-related traces. No cracks or chips. Blue-and-white water bowls from the Yongle period (1403-1424) are among the finest products of early Ming porcelain art. The motif of the dragon above sea waves is typically imperial and symbolizes power, cosmic order, and the ruler's ability to control the elements. The bowls usually served as writing or studio vessels (water containers for the inkstone) and were produced in the imperial workshops from particularly pure porcelain with brilliant underglaze blue. Characteristic features include the dynamic painting style, the strong cobalt blue, and the elegant shaping, which became style-defining for the Yongle era.