A Chinese blue and white 'kraak porselein' bowl

The central medallion is painted with a bird seated on rockwork, surrounded by cartouches of symbols and flowers, the rim with peach and chrysanthemum heads. 

It is unclear why the name 'kraak' is used for this type of porcelain. It may stem from the Portuguese vessels, carracks, that used to ship this porcelain to the Western World in the 17th century. Another theory is that it refers to the thinness of the material, 'kraak' in Dutch.