A blue and white porcelain jar of broad, squat form, with wide rounded shoulders, a short upright neck and a spreading foot. The neck is painted with waves, and the shoulder with a scroll of peonies and other flowers on leafy stems between blue lines. The main band shows spiny-finned fish swimming among lotus flowers and leaves, duckweed and long water weeds. Below, a narrow lattice band runs above a ring of petal panels round the foot, each enclosing a flower spray. The blue is dark and heavy in places, where the jar stood close to the fire in the kiln.
The glaze has a creamy tone and an overall crackle. The flat base and the foot rim are unglazed, the base fired a warm orange and marked with concentric throwing rings. We attribute the jar to the early Ming dynasty.
Learn more: The Ming Dynasty
