Globular flower vase with decoration of Arabic script in underglaze blue, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign (1506-1521)-China Archive

Image Number: K1B008485N000000000PAE
Dynasty: Ming dynasty
Category: Ceramics
Function: Floral apparatus
Material: Mineral/ceramic/porcelain
Description:
This utensil is composed of a hollow base connected with a spherical main body. The spherical utensil is hollow inside and has seven round holes at the top. The outer wall of the sphere is decorated with blue and white flowers, and the top is painted with a six petal flower frame with double green lines outside the seven holes. The inside is painted with six petal flowers and leaves; The base is painted with Ruyi Cloud. There are eight blue and white lines at the top and bottom. The outsole has a blue and white regular script style of “made in Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty”. The outer wall of the sphere is open on both sides, with Arabic prayers written on it, which can be translated into “Allah will protect its land and descendants”. This trend of writing Arabic or Persian may be related to the belief of the Zhengde emperor in Islam.