Blue and White Double Gourd Vase with Phoenixes and Insects, Yuan Dynasty

PP-0123

Description

A large blue and white porcelain vase of double gourd form. The narrow neck has a lattice band at the mouth above a ring of narrow panels. The upper bulb is painted with a phoenix in flight among peony and other flowers, above a ring of panels enclosing plant sprays, and a band of waves circles the waist. On the lower bulb, cusped panels of flowers and symbols ring the shoulder above tall vertical panels: phoenixes among flowering scrolls, insects such as grasshoppers among grasses and flowers beside water, and bamboo with bunches of grapes. A further ring of panels encloses the foot.

The blue is strong and even, under a pale greenish glaze with an overall crackle. The flat base is unglazed, showing concentric throwing rings, a gritty surface and dark firing marks. We attribute the vase to the Yuan dynasty.