Meiping vase
Unknown Artist
early 18th century
Medium
Porcelain with teadust glaze (Jingdezhen ware)
Dimensions
H. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Yongzheng period (1723–35)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac D. Fletcher Collection, Bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher, 1917
Accession Number
17.120.177
Art Historical Context
This elegant meiping vase, crafted in the early 18th century during the Qing dynasty's Yongzheng period1723–35), exemplifies the pinnacle of porcelain artistry from Jingdezhen, the world's center for imperial ceramics. Standing at just 8 1/8 inches (20.6 cm) tall, its classic pear-shaped form—narrow neck flaring to a wide shoulder and foot—is designed to gracefully hold slender branches like plum blossoms, embodying the refined aesthetic of literati culture. The vase's teadust glaze, a hallmark of Yongzheng innovation, mimics the fine particles of tea dust settling in a cup, creating a subtle...