This blue and white bowl has rounded sides, a fluted mouthrim and a raised foot. It is decorated with chrysanthemums on either side at the centre, surrounded by leafy scrolls and petals in a bright underglaze of bright blue beneath a white ground.The production of blue and white ware in large quantities started during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) for the Middle Eastern market. By the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty, blue and white wares were produced for the emperor, domestic consumption and for export to many places such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Europe. The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries saw the deterioration in the quality of Ming porcelain due to huge demands from the imperial court as well as from export trade. Little experimentation occured during this period.
