Dish with Stylized Scrolls and Flowers

In the macrophotograph of this dish, tiny bubbles between the ceramic surface and the cobalt layer reveal that the blue pigment was applied under a transparent glaze before the first high-temperature firing. The red, yellow, and green overglaze enamels were painted atop this clear glaze and then refired at least once, in a lower-temperature kiln. The red enamel layer is thin, allowing the initial line painting to remain visible through larger areas of color. Because overglaze enamels can sometimes bubble or fail to bond securely with the clear glaze beneath, preventive conservation measures are often necessary to protect these delicate surfaces from loss.