Morphometric typology of Ming Chinese export and domestic porcelain bowls in trade and production contexts

Abstract Chinese export porcelain bowls are heritage materials associated with Ming maritime trade, yet their morphology remains insufficiently quantified. This study develops a morphometric typological framework to characterize concentration, size variation, and atypical forms, comparing 37 export references with 25 domestic comparators. Profile extraction, typological coding, AutoCAD scaling, and Rhinoceros-assisted measurement were applied to 62 bowls. Round feet and curved bodies comprised 88.7% (55/62) and 69.4% (43/62), while everted and open rims together comprised 66.1% (41/62). Rim diameter ranged from 7.6 to 41.2 cm, including 20 miniature, 36 regular-sized, and 6 large bowls. Among 60 specimens retained for angular analysis, HFJA was concentrated (mean 59.0°, median 58.0°, SD 8.3°), whereas LFJA was dispersed (mean/median 47.0°, SD 10.2°). Export specimens showed broader size, rim-type, and angular variation within a shared morphological framework. The workflow provides reproducible evidence while treating production, trade, consumption, and function as contextual associations rather than causal mechanisms.