A tall blue and white porcelain vase of ovoid form, with a short waisted neck and an everted rim. A narrow scroll band runs below the lip and a band of crested waves round the neck. On the shoulder, a phoenix with long, sweeping tail feathers and a scaled qilin move among flowers and clouds. Below, a band of upright panels encloses a sequence of emblems and flower sprays. The body is painted with a large peony scroll, the blossoms shown alternately full face and in profile among leafy stems, above a narrow flower scroll and a band of panels round the foot, each holding a flower spray.
The glaze has a pale bluish-green tone, and the blue is deep, with darker spots where it gathered. The base is unglazed, showing a reddish-brown body. More on the period is on our early Ming dynasty page.
This vase has been sold; please ask us about similar pieces.
Learn more: The Ming Dynasty
