It has an open mouth like a plate, gently angular shoulders, and phoenix handles on either side of the neck.
This shape is particularly famous among the Longquan ware and is known as the phoenix handles vase.
This piece is particularly beautiful, with the phoenix ears elegantly full and the fur and facial lines nicely attached, and a beautiful, translucent white.
The shape is well-balanced, and the perfect circle viewed from above is beautiful, with the bottom also nicely carved.
The fine-grained light gray clay is covered all over with a thick layer of pale milky powder blue celadon glaze, typical of the Southern Song Longquan ware.
This type of glaze is called “kinuta celadon” in Japan and was highly prized.
A distinctive feature of phoenix ear vases from Longquan kilns is that there are almost no straight sections, and the overall composition is made up of gentle curves.
| Title | Longquan ware Celadon Vase with Phoenix Handles |
|---|---|
| Period | Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) |
| Culture | China |
| Area/kiln | Longquan ware |
| Dimensions | H. 10 5/8 in. ; Diam. 4 3/4 in. |
| Classification | Ceramics |
| Glaze | Celadon |
| owner | WD Collection |
| Number | 000129 |
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For Longquan ware, please see this page.
Longquan Ware is a famous celadon kiln from the Southern Song Dynasty in China. It was imported to Japan from the Kamakura period to the Muromachi pe...