Bowl with dragons amid flowers

Polychrome enamel decorated imperial wares of the Qing dynasty were primarily developed following the Ming style in color hues and designs, as seen in this bowl. The traditional pairs of dragons and phoenixes, pursuing the pearl amongst floral bushes were painted on the exterior, while a dragon with a pearl on clouds was centered in a medallion on the interior bottom. Bright red, green, and blue became the dominant color scheme; the soft colors of the early Qing were avoided in order to create the strong impression typical of Ming wucai wares.