Doucai bowl with rice pattern
Qing (Ching) Dynasty
(1644-1911 AD)
Porcelain, cobalt, over-glaze enamels

Enamels painted over the glaze were first developed in the Ming Dynasty to come to their peak of perfection in the Qing Dynasty — achieving strong colours and yet also subtle shading.

This piece exhibits the famous and still popular ‘rice pattern’. A translucent rice grain-shaped decoration is made by carefully cutting out a tiny shape with a small lancet before the clay has completely hardened.