Incense-burner with dragons

Inspired by a Xuande type which employed brown enamel decorations over a white glaze, potters of the Jiajing-Wanli period succeeded in creating reverse works with a brown background and white ornamentation. The brown, lighter than earlier brown grazes, is topped with thickly applied white dragons to create a shallow-relief effect. Most were made at private shops and are without official marks. Vases, jars, and incense burners of this type were often decorated with lions, dragons, pines, and flowers. This piece has a white-glazed interior.