This bowl has a wide opening, an arched belly and a circular base. The inside surface is decorated with two carved lotus flowers and water lily leaves in bloom, a pattern that extends smoothly and is refined and elegant. The exterior of the bowl is decorated with a carved upturned lotus petal design, with a carved comb pattern inside each petal. In Buddhism the lotus is elevated to the level of a holy flower because of its ability to remain pure of spirit and moral character despite growing in wet mud. The lotus became popular as a decorative motif on a wide range of ceramic vessels during the Southern and Northerm Dynasties period (420-589).