A large porcelain vase painted in blue and red on a white ground. It has a waisted neck with a flared mouth, a broad rounded body and a tall spreading foot. A diaper band circles the mouth, above a ring of tall leaves in alternating red and blue and a scroll band at the shoulder. Round the body, four lobed panels framed by blue flowering plants and rockwork enclose a phoenix, a second long-tailed bird and two qilin, one with a flaming mane, the other spotted and antlered, all painted in red.
The waisted lower section shows a waterside scene with crabs, ducks, a fish and wading birds among reeds, and the foot a ring of panels enclosing red trefoils. The glaze is finely crackled, and the base is unglazed with concentric throwing rings. Our Yuan dynasty page gives the background.
This vase has been sold; please ask us about similar pieces.
Learn more: The Yuan Dynasty
