Tea Bowl, 12th-13th century, 2 1/4 x 4 3/8 in. (5.7 x 11.11 cm), Chi-chou ware Buff colored stoneware with brown glaze on the exterior and papercut decoration reserved in dark brown glaze against a variegated buff ground on the inside, China, 12th-13th century, The decorative scheme seen on this bowl is called feng mei wen (phoenix-and-plum design). The design elements were created with papercut stencils at the Qizhou kilns in Jiangxi province, which were apparently the only kilns in traditional China that used cut-paper stencils to impart resist designs. Once the bowl had dried, it was immersed in the dark-brown glaze. When the glaze had stabilized, the phoenix and plum branch papercuts were affixed to the interior walls and a mixture of wood or bamboo ash mixed with slip was sprinkled over the whole interior. After the drying, the papercuts were removed and the vessel was fired right side up.