Bowl

Copper red glaze, also known as “sacrificial red” because of its blood red coloration, was first developed in the 1300s and was produced with great success in the early Ming dynasty reigns of Yongle and Xuande (1400s). It was revived in the Kangxi period as an imperial monochrome color, of which the present piece is a fine example. The red color is due to the introduction of a small quantity of copper oxide into the high-fired glaze. The chemistry is complex, and copper red glazes of different periods have dissimilar compositions. Kangxi bowls like this, with a red outer glaze and a white interior, are rare.