This pair of bowls features a moulded design with a central medallion of twin phoenixes and floral sprays. Radiating outwards are panels filled with floral motifs, contained within a narrow key fret border. Such panelled designs were derived from Tang metalwork, and became very popular on Yuan ceramics. The bowls are glazed entirely with the glossy icy-blue that identifies them as qingbai ware, except for the rims and bases. Qingbai ware, perfected in the Jingdezhen kilns, was the precursor to later blue-and-white ware which would become widely exported throughout the world.
