Meiping vase
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Porcelain with copper red glaze (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions
H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); Diam. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 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
14.40.71
Art Historical Context
This delicate Meiping vase, a petite porcelain treasure from China's Qing dynasty (1644–1911), exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of 18th-century Jingdezhen. Standing just 5⅜ inches tall with a 3¼-inch, its pear-shaped form—narrow neck flaring to a rounded body—is a classic meiping design, traditionally used to display slender plum blossoms, evoking the poetic elegance of Chinese literati culture. Produced in Jingdezhen, the world's porcelain capital, this piece features a striking copper red glaze, a technical marvel achieved through precise control of copper oxide in the kiln to yield i...