Can you tell me how this piece was made?
Chinese blue-and-white porcelain begins with the clay, often a combination of kaolin and petuntse. When the clay is leather-hard, cobalt blue pigment is painted onto the surface. The vessel is then glazed and fired.
The blue is so vibrant!
Cobalt is one of the most popular metals for decorating porcelain because it is one of the few substances that stays stable under the very high temperatures used to fire porcelain.
Notice how the dragon has five claws. This was an Imperial symbol, and represented the power of the emperor.