Carved Yingqing bowl

The interior of this thinly potted conical bowl has a finely incised design of two boys clambering amidst stylized peony blooms and feathery sprays of foliage encircled by a plain rim border. Children, especially sons, and peonies were auspicious emblems to the Chinese and they are common motifs in Song dynasty (960-1279) decorative art. This finely executed bowl has a low straight foot and a translucent white body covered with a blue glaze typical of late Northern Song ware from Jingdezhen kilns like those at Hutian. Some suggest that this type of conical bowl was used for tea drinking but, given its large size, it is more accurate to see its function as that of a standard food bowl.