Meiping Vase with carved Dragon Motif
Unknown Artist
1300s
Medium
Porcelain with pale bluish-white (qingbai; 青白) glaze and carved decoration
Dimensions
27.6 × 16.5 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift
Accession Number
2020.189
About this artwork
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.