Bowl, one of a pair

To copy metal enameled decorations on porcelains, dark colors were chosen for the ground, often dark red, rose pink, blue, or yellow (National Palace Mus. 1992: 39-47). The more than ten types of flowers on this bowl were represented in an abstract color scheme for a strong decorative effect. The floral petals were painted either in aqua, light yellow outlined in red, or white lined and dotted in black. The opaque shaded colors, emphasized by dark lines, were inspired by cloisonné enamels. The mark on the base reads Kangxi yuzhi ("produced by Imperial Command of Kangxi").