Underglaze-red Water Container with Floral Designs

This water container, kendi or kundika, is used by Buddhist monks. To make an underglaze-red ware, the craftsman first painted the biscuit with pigment rich in copper oxides and then applied with a layer of transparent glaze before firing at hight temeratures. After firing, the painted part shows red color while the unpainted parts remain white. Because the red color is beneath the glaze layer, this type of porcelain ware is referred to as “underglaze red”. In contrast with the white background, the bright red color delights and excites the viewers. During the Hongwu reign, a large number of underglaze-red porcelain wares were manufactured at the kilns in Jingdezhen.