CC0 · no rights reserved
Meiping Vase with carved Dragon Motif
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A fierce coiling dragon chasing a pearl amid mist and clouds—a symbol of fertility and power—decorates this sturdy vase. Its shoulder is incised with a band of lotus flowers and the base features a border of lotus petals. Meiping, literally prunus vase, derives its name from being used to display a single floral spray, traditionally a branch of blossoming plum (or prunus ), apricot, or cherry.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMeiping Vase with carved Dragon Motif, 1300s. South China, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). Porcelain with pale bluish-white (qingbai; 青白) glaze and carved decoration; overall: 27.6 x 16.5 cm (10 7/8 x 6 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift, 2020.189
