A carved Longquan celadon 'peony' vase, meiping, Yuan - Ming dynasty | 元至明 龍泉青釉刻牡丹紋梅瓶

Passed down in Japan since medieval times, and thereafter in the collection of the Daikomyo-ji temple.

自中世紀於日本傳世，後入藏於京都大光明寺

Sturdily potted with a graceful silhouette and adorned with lush peony blooms, the present meiping is a remarkable exemplar of Longquan celadons of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. During this period of time, Longquan celadons saw a surge in more elaborate and prominent ornamentations, marking a departure from the minimalist aesthetics favoured during the previous Song dynasty.

The lustrous sage-green glaze pools to a deeper tone at the recessed areas, ingeniously simulating shadows and enhancing the three-dimensionality and complexity of the design and surface. Markedly top-heavy with a relatively narrow-waisted foot, this vase is a result of careful calculation: the exact proportions and firing temperature had to be perfect and precise to prevent sagging or collapsing, making the present vase a delightful work of art from the Longquan kilns.

此梅瓶器形豐腴，厚重大氣，滿飾富貴牡丹，誠元明龍泉佳例。宋之龍泉，多見素器，重釉色，輕紋飾。入元以來，龍泉器飾，漸繁漸縟，紋飾層次突出，立體感甚強。本瓶釉色光潤，下刀處積釉深沉，凸起處呈色青透，二者對比強烈，遙相呼應。時匠技藝精湛，如此上寬下歛豐張之器，尤為難燒，需比例勻稱，窰火老練，方得上品。