A large celadon jar with a rounded body and a wide, flaring neck, two lizards modelled in the round climbing on the shoulder as handles. The decoration is carved in registers: square panels of flowers and crossed emblems round the neck, phoenixes among flowers on the shoulder, a band of scrolls, then a large peony scroll with full blossoms and broad leaves round the body, and a further band of flower panels above the foot. The glaze is a grey-green, thinning to an orange-brown on the edges of the carving.
The cover is shaped as a leaf with a wavy rim, incised with branching veins, and a carved band surrounds a gourd-shaped knob. The base is unglazed, showing throwing rings. We date it to approximately the late Ming, 1590 to 1644.
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Learn more: The Ming Dynasty
