This bowl is painted on the exterior with eight panels of deer amid flowering shrubs, while the interior features a deer at the centre as well as panels decorated with peaches and flowers. The deer and peach were frequently used to decorate Chinese porcelain as they were associated with immortality. The panelled ornamentation and thin walls of the porcelain bowl are characteristic features of Kraak porcelain, a major type of Chinese export ware during the late Ming dynasty. The term ‘Kraak’ was probably derived from the word ‘carrack’ referring to a type of Portuguese trading vessel. It might have also come from the Dutch word kraken which means ‘to break’ or the name for a style of shelves used for porcelain display in Dutch homes.
