East Asia, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 19th century CE. A gorgeous stoneware vase exhibiting a reverse pear-shaped body with a gracefully rounded shoulder, a narrow, conical neck, and a flared, annular rim, all sitting upon a circular, concave base. Boasting a lustrous burnish, this elegant vessel is adorned with the depiction of a dragon in shades of crimson and white atop a mottled light cyan and almond-hued underglaze. The ferocious beast presents a serpentine body that meanders along the side of the ancient vase, causing one's eye to travel up and down the vessel's voluptuous form. Petite spikes line the beast's lengthy spine as its sizable head faces upwards, as though about to let out a blazing breath. The fantastical creature stretches its muscular legs outwards, displaying elongated talons with sinuous forms that swirl around the animal in a manner similar to that of puffs of smoke. Though made in the 19th century, this elegant vessel is decorated in the style of the Yuan dynasty (1271 to 1368 CE) as evident by its light blue underglaze Size: 10" in diameter x 18.25" H (25.4 cm x 46.4 cm)

Inspired by the female form, this vase is known as a "meiping", or "prunus vase", which is a stoneware vessel first used to store wine. During the Song dynasty, vessels of this form became popular to use for displaying branches of plum blossoms, hence the name "prunus vase."

In China, dragons have traditionally symbolized auspicious powers involving control over rainfall, water, floods, and typhoons. Dragons are mythological symbols of good luck, strength, and power as well as the seasonal cycles and the supernatural. Dragons were displayed as a sign of physical and spiritual protection!

Provenance: private Morrison, Colorado, USA collection

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#163669

Intact and excellent.