Meiping Vase with carved Dragon Motif
1300–1399
- Medium
- Porcelain with pale bluish-white (qingbai; 青白) glaze and carved decoration
- Dimensions
- Overall: 27.6 x 16.5 cm (10 7/8 x 6 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- Ceramics
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
South China, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)
About
A fierce coiling dragon chasing a pearl amid mist and clouds—a symbol of fertility and power—decorates this sturdy vase. Its shoulder is incised with a band of lotus flowers and the base features a border of lotus petals. Meiping, literally prunus vase, derives its name from being used to display a single floral spray, traditionally a branch of blossoming plum (or prunus), apricot, or cherry.