Pear-shaped bottle on footring, The body gradually tapering to a long, cylindrical neck. Decorated in underglaze blue with a large displaying peacock. On the shoulder a band with foliate motifs and a band with a row of pointed half-leaves. On the neck four groups of a flower with large leaves and pendent jewels. The motif of a peacock displaying is more rare on 17th-century Japanese porcelain than phoenixes or pheasants. This bottle is one of the finest of this small group of blue-and-white pieces, where the exuberance of the feathers comes fully into its own. The peacock also occurs occasionally on enamelled Japanese porcelain. A bottle with such a decoration from the Westendorp Collection is preserved in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (Amsterdam). Peacocks symbolise dignity and beauty.