A Plum Vase

The shape of this elegant plum vase (meiping) follows an 11th–century prototype, with a small neck and a wide body that tapers towards the foot. The decoration was done in several stages. A layer of white clay was applied to the brown stoneware, on which floral motifs were painted in iron oxide black pigment. Finally, the vase was covered with a transparent turquoise glaze.