You are invited to touch this Ming dynasty vase. Please remove finger rings and don't touch any of the other pieces in the gallery.
The vase is Chinese porcelain, made about 1550 and a double-gourd in shape. The decoration was painted on under the glaze and is of abstract flowers and symbols.
The first Ming emperor overthrew Mongol rule in 1368. The new dynasty swept away much that was associated with the Yuan emperors. But blue-and-white porcelain survived. Several Ming emperors favoured these wares and helped to make blue-and-white porcelain a great Chinese tradition. Many of the new shapes and designs they sponsored also found favour abroad.
c. 1550
Porcelain painted in underglaze blue
55.0 x 30.0cm
Images and text © Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017