Wine Bottle with Dragon and Flaming Pearl Decoration

The mineral cobalt lends this blue-and-white porcelain wine bottle its deep blue decoration. A single dragon amid misty clouds swirls around the bottle, reaching for a divine "flaming pearl," a common Buddhist motif. In many Asian cultures, the dragon represents a benevolent supernatural power, particularly to control water or rain, or as a symbol of heaven or as a virtuous king. The mythic dragon of the mist-filled heavens is also identified with rain-supplication ceremonies.The association of the dragon with misty clouds makes the motif on this vessel particularly appropriate to the object's intended use of storing and serving liquid—in this case, wine.