Dragon and cloud designs on white porcelain jars and bottles produced at the official court kilns were usually rendered in cobalt-blue underglaze. This is a rare example of a vessel with a dragon and cloud design in iron underglaze instead. It is even more unusual for a drum-shaped bottle, which were usually left without decoration. White porcelain drum-shaped bottles are presumed to have been used as liquor containers in the royal court and central administrative offices.