This large porcelain bowl is decorated in a vibrant underglaze blue that is characteristic of the second half of the sixteenth century. The scene of children at play, a universal theme in all the decorative arts of China since the tenth century (see the octagonal dish), was particularly popular at this time. The depiction of children in various postures that was achieved by mixing and matching several standard versions of heads, bodies, and legs is a feature of the mass-production techniques developed at the pottery works at Jingdezhen for manufacturing export porcelain. However, this bowl was certainly made for the domestic market. It carries a six-character reign mark of Jiajing within a double ring on the base.