Flask-shape bottle

Flask-shaped bottle with bulbous mouth moulded in eight lobes. On the sides are four bosses; and on each face, moulded designs in low relief - the yin-yang in the centre surrounded by the eight Trigrams (pa kua). Hard buff pottery with thick opalescent glaze of lavender turquoise colour with a purple splash. The yin-yang, a circle divided by a spiral line, represents the dual elements in nature. The pa kua consist of eight combinations of philosophy, and are supposed to have been supernaturally communicated to the legendary Emperor Fu Hsi.