Meiping vase
Unknown Artist
late 18th century
Medium
Porcelain with iron-rust glaze (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions
H. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm); Diam. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
Accession Number
14.40.9
Art Historical Context
This delicate Meiping vase, crafted in late 18th-century China during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), exemplifies the pinnacle of imperial porcelain production at Jingdezhen, the renowned center for fine ceramics. Standing just 6¾ inches tall with a graceful pear-shaped body and slender neck, it was designed to hold plum blossoms—a nod to the "Three Friends of Winter" in Chinese symbolism, representing resilience and purity. Its modest dimensions (3⅝-inch diameter) made it ideal for scholarly tables or altars, blending utility with elegance. The vase's standout feature is its iron-rust glaze, a...