Bowl, decorated with incised scroll design, qing-bai ware.

Collection NumberA003144
TitleBowl, decorated with incised scroll design, qing-bai ware.
DateSouthern-Song dynasty, 12-13th century
Artist, Kiln, Workshop景徳鎮窯 Jingdezhen ware
Name of prefectures & citiesChina
Description of works【Blue shadows float on the surface】
This qingbai (blue and white) porcelain bowl bears an arabesque pattern on the interior, carved sharply using a katakiri-bori (half-cut carving) technique. The grooves are filled with glaze at different depths, creating blue shadows that float on the surface, which is why this type of pottery is called inchin (Chinese: yingqing, “shadow in blue”). Qingbai ware were thin-walled porcelain mimicking metallic vessels, often decorated with abstract patterns. Many of them were exported from China and were one of the most-cherished Chinese porcelain items in the world.

PageTop