Blue-Glazed Prunus Vase with Pre-Placed Powder and Designs of Egrets and Green Lotus Made in Wanli's Reign of Ming

White design on blue glaze was first seen in the Yuan Dynasty, which was made by embellishing the white design on blue-glazed ground and constituting a sharp contrast between blue and white colors. Sapphire blue was used as glazing ground during Xuande’s reign of Ming (1426-1435). Blank space would be kept out and embellished with white design with a slightly three-dimensional effect by engraving, piling, inlaying, etc. This porcelain-making technique was improved and broken through during Wanli's Reign of Ming, which changed the previous technique of shallow pre-placed powder and utilized abundant white glaze powder so as to make the designs explicitly embossed on the glazing ground and constitute the bas-relief artistic effect on the porcelain surface, which enriched the aesthetic taste. This plum base is exactly one of the masterpieces made in the transitional period of this manufacturing technique. The entire vase is blue-glazed and painted with white powder, which constituted a refreshing and eye-catching effect. Its shoulders are embellished with white coin, silver-ingot, intersecting lozenge design, double-fish design, etc. The belly is decorated with two sets of themed designs--the painting of egrets and green lotus flowers. Egrets in the picture are piled with powder, which was in stark contrast with the blue glaze and design based on the implication of "maintaining incorruptible all through the course" or "being honest and upright in every walk of life".