The Xuande era also saw the development of themes that reflect the interests of the scholar-gentleman class. The imagery painted on the exterior of this bowl belongs to this category. Its theme, the Four Gentlemanly Accomplishments, is exquisitely painted in underglaze blue in a composition that covers the entire body of the bowl. Calligraphy, painting, music, and chess are the Four Gentlemanly Accomplishments. Here they are practiced by figures in a garden set against a background of distant mountains that skillfully suggests the view from a terrace. Each of the accomplishments is represented as a vignette within the overall composition, with plants, rocks, and trees separating each scene. Although the theme reflects the activities of the educated male elite, the clothing and hairstyles of the figures on this bowl indicate that they are women--which gives an unusual twist to this standard theme.

Bowls of this shape are generally called 'dice bowls' in the West, presumably because they were believed to have been used in throwing dice. However, some questions remain regarding their actual use. They are generally more thickly potted than other porcelains bearing the Xuande reign mark. While the thicker body may reflect the intended function of the piece--whether or not this was the rolling of dice--other explanations are possible. For example, this thickness is similar to that found in Xuande-period porcelains produced for use outside the court, suggesting that thicker porcelains with imperial marks were made to be given as gifts by members of the court, which could explain the combination of a reign mark and a thicker body. In this case, the use of popular themes with scholarly overtones such as the Four Gentlemanly Accomplishments might reflect the taste of the scholar-gentleman and other bureaucrats who were employed at the court.