Description:

One of a pair of "flask" shaped ornamental pieces printed in blue with the Standard Willow pattern as the central design and with Chinese symbols - real or imaginary - surrounding the central pattern.  (The pair is shown below.) The feet and the rim are painted in a deep blue ground.  A narrow floral border suggests a band around the sides of the circular containers.  In addition to the impressed maker's mark, the factory's symbol for the year 1875, the letter "E" for the month of May and a potter's mark are also impressed into the base as shown in the mark image above.  Also found on the piece is the factory's impressed shape number 1303.