A blue and white vase of baluster form with high rounded shoulders, a short neck and a flared mouth. Two large lobed panels on the body each hold a qilin, the mythical beast with a horned head, a scaled body and flames at its shoulders and legs, running with its head raised. Around it are rockwork, bamboo, a flowering vine hanging from above, waves and a ribbed gourd at the foot of the panel. The blue ranges from pale washes to dark, almost blackish strokes.
The plain ground between the panels is incised with scrolling flowers and leaves, visible under a pale glaze with a faint celadon tint and an overall crackle. A blue line circles the foot. The flat base is unglazed and shows throwing rings and a buff, iron-stained biscuit. We attribute the vase to the early Yuan dynasty.
Learn more: The Yuan Dynasty
