Ming blue and white antique porcelain chinese bowl

Ming blue and white bowl made during the reign of the Emperor Wanli c1600. Painted to the outside with a continuous scene of a scholar and pupil in a fenced garden. The pupil is bringing a swan / goose to his master as according to legend he had boasted that his writing was as graceful as a swans /goose neck. The scholars reply is not known.

The inside is painted with a figure often referred to as the golfer in the west due to the long implement and his stance.

The bowl was made for the Japanese market and deliberately made with less care as the Japanese were believed to like less accomplished pieces as they were buyers of Korean tea ware. Which was compared to chinese ware very provincial