1-234-491 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Blue glazed vase with incised dragons, Ming dynasty, China, c1645. A large vase with long flaring neck. There is incised decoration of two dragons chasing a flaming pearl. The exterior is covered with a deep violet cobalt blue monochrome glaze, the interior has a white glaze. The base has a four character mark 'guang wu nian zhi' meaning 'made during the reign of Gunagwu'. The inscription combines the names of two pretenders to the Ming throne who had a few months' prominence in 1645.