Doucai Bowl with Imagery of Deer, Monkeys, Flowers, and Birds

Made in the contrasting-colors (doucai) technique, the bowl features imagery of lingzhi fungus (Ganoderma) inside two blue rings at the bottom of the interior. The exterior is decorated with monkeys, deer, and bees. Monkeys, peaches, bees, and fungus were deemed auspicious symbols in imperial times due to their homophonic relationships to certain words. For instance, the word for monkey homophonically refers to an imperial government position or promotion; the word for "deer" alludes to the (plentiful) salary of a government official or, interpreted a step further, abundance in general. Meanwhile, the lingzhi fungus symbolized good fortune and longevity. Inside the foot ring are characters that read "Crafted during the reign of the Chenghua Emperor of the Great Ming".