Footed Offering Bowl with Courtly Gathering

This colorful porcelain bowl dates to the mid-19th century and was originally used as a serving dish for ritual offerings, placed before a home altar and piled high with fruit, baked goods, and other foods. The cartouche-shaped dish features a short footed base decorated by a pattern of crashing waves and a flared lip decorated in gilt. The exterior is painted with a gathering of robed figures in a courtyard setting, each holding a different auspicious flower, including lotus for purity, plum blossoms for longevity, and chrysanthemums for endurance. Decorated in a pastel palette against a field of crisp white, this footed offering dish makes for a fantastic centerpiece or serving bowl.