Exploring the World of the Great Kublai Khan

Bottle
Mongol dominion in the north of China eventually spread south, mixing with some established artistic traditions there. The revitalizing effects of this collision of cultures can be seen in the porcelain of the Yuan era. The exhibit's curator, James Watt, says this particular bottle "retains an idea of growth, of regeneration." He likes to think of the splash of paint on this bottle as "a little dragon."

• Treasures from the Forbidden City