A large heavily potted blue and white hemispherical shaped palace bowl, the steep rounded sides raised on a tall slightly splayed ring foot. The bowl is painted on the exterior with a panoramic scene depicting four water dragons with double bifurcated leafy tails swimming through blossoming lotus flowers and meandering tendrils framed between double line borders.  On the interior a border replicating the exterior design is painted beneath the rim on the cavetto and in the well of the bowl a cross-vajra (shi zi chu) symbol within double line borders.  On the white glazed base in underglaze blue are six kaishu characters within concentric circles reading, Ying de xuan bo gu zhi, translated as "Antique made for the Pavilion for Echoing Moral Character".
清代 Qing Dynasty, 康熙 Kangxi Period (1662-1722)
Height:  4 3/8" (11.1cm)  Diameter:  8 1/2" (21.6cm)
Provenance: Vermeer & Griggs Collection No. 140
Please refer to item #BW-261-140 when inquiring.