The imperial household required tableware decorated with the dragon (a symbol of the emperor) or the phoenix (a symbol of the empress). This jar is decorated with four dragons and the eight Buddhist emblems (wheel of law, conch shell, umbrella, canopy, lotus, vase, fish, and endless knot). The vessel was made in two parts, joined at the midsection. Its decoration was incised into the clay, and the name of the emperor’s reign was written in underglaze cobalt on the foot. Its interior and foot were then covered with transparent, high-firing glaze. After the initial firing, the incised outline remained on the unglazed surface, ready to be filled by lowerfiring enamel glazes. One color was painted within the motif’s incised outline while the other color filled the background. The vessel was then fired a second time at a lower temperature. Typically, different individuals performed each separate step.