Vase
Unknown Artist
Medium
Porcelaneous ware with crackled white glaze
Dimensions
H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); Diam. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); Diam. of rim 1 in. (2.5 cm); Diam. of base 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.251
Art Historical Context
This elegant vase, crafted in China during the Ming dynasty (8–1644), exemplifies the era's mastery of ceramic artistry. Standing at 13½ inches tall with a slender profile—8½ inches in diameter at its widest, tapering to a narrow 1-inch rim and a 5½-inch base—it was made from porcelaneous ware, a high-fired stoneware that mimics true porcelain's translucency and durability. The defining feature is its crackled glaze, where intentional fine fissures form a delicate, ice-like texture as the glaze contracts differently from the body during cooling, creating a subtle, aged patina prized for its re...