Blue and White Vase (Tianqiu Ping) with Dragon Intertwined Floral Scrolls
This blue-and-white globular vase (tianqiuping) with dragon and intertwining lotus decoration was produced at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. The tianqiuping, distinguished by its remarkably spherical body suggestive of a celestial sphere, was an innovative vessel form first developed by the Yongle imperial kilns. It subsequently became one of the most representative display wares of Ming and Qing imperial blue-and-white porcelain, embodying the technical excellence and artistic sophistication of the imperial ceramic tradition.
Artifact Details
- Measurements
- VaseH 44cmMD 9cmFD 17cm
- Kiln
- Imperial Kiln
- Material
- underglaze blue decoration
- Condition
- Excellent
A blue and white "celestial sphere" vase (tianqiuping), Ming Dynasty, Yongle period, Jingdezhen imperial kiln. Its perfectly round body was meant to evoke the heavens, a form first created by the Yongle imperial kilns.
A striding dragon with raised head and flowing mane coils around the body, while lotus scrolls climb the neck. The deep "heaped and piled" cobalt with dark iron speckles comes from imported Sumali blue, the signature look of early Ming blue and white. The base carries a four-character Yongle Nianzhi seal mark.
The globular body is decorated with a three-clawed striding dragon depicted in dynamic movement. The dragon raises its head majestically, its flowing mane swept back in motion, while its finely articulated scales, sharp claws, and powerful physique convey an imposing sense of strength and vitality. This vigorous rendering exemplifies the characteristic dragon imagery of Ming and Qing imperial porcelain.
The decoration is executed in underglaze blue using imported Sumali cobalt, the celebrated pigment associated with the Yongle and Xuande periods. Rich and intensely saturated in tone, the cobalt produces the distinctive “heaped and piled” effect, with naturally occurring iron-rich speckles and softly diffused halos, features that have become hallmarks of early Ming imperial blue-and-white porcelain.
The area between the neck and the shoulder is decorated with intertwining lotus scrolls and scrolling foliage motifs. The intertwining lotus (chanzhilian) symbolizes continuity, renewal, and purity, and was among the most favored auspicious decorative patterns on Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.
The underside is inscribed with the four-character reign mark Yongle Nianzhi (“Made during the Yongle Reign”) in finely executed seal script, characteristic of official Yongle imperial kiln production. The mark is framed by an ornamental cartouche formed by stylized lotus petals and crowned with a dragon-head motif, a decorative layout that is emblematic of Yongle imperial porcelain of the early Ming Dynasty.
