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Wanli Willow-Leaf Vase: The Slender Poem in Porcelain

The Story In the autumn of 1596, a young scholar named Chen passed the imperial examinations. He was not from a wealthy family. His father had been a

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Dragon's Gaze Copper Censer: The Dragon That Looks Back

Genuine Ming dynasty copper censer. "Looking-back" dragon motif. Exceptional patina. No restoration.

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Double Lion Wucai Porcelain Cup: The Guardian Pair That Waited a Century

A matched pair of Ming guardian lions in brilliant wucai enamel—complete and waiting to protect.

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Jiajing Mark Ru-Glazed Tall Meiping: A Dialogue Across Dynasties.

The Story In the autumn of 1542, a potter named Zheng worked at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen. He was a fuzhi -a master of glaze chemistry-and he h

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Celestial Ru Ware Vase: A Genuine Northern Song Treasure

One of fewer than one hundred complete Ru pieces known to exist worldwide

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Incised Floral Ding Yao Vase: The Plum Vase That Holds Spring

The Story In the winter of 1088, the poet Su Shi was in exile. He had been banished from court-too many poems, too many opinions, too many enemies amo

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Cizhou Kiln Green-Glazed and Carved Double Dragon Zun Vase: Dragons in the Clay

The Story In the winter of the twelfth century, somewhere in the hills of northern China, a potter named Chen worked by lamplight. The Cizhou kilns ha

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Northern Song Yuanyou Mark Ru Ware Double Ram Zun: The Emperor's Sky

The Story In the spring of 1089, a young emperor sat alone in his study. Zhezong of the Song was only twelve years old when he ascended the throne, bu

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Phoenix-Handled White Vase: Where Myth Takes Flight

The Story In the autumn of 1924, a British diplomat in Peking received an unusual invitation. Lord Harrington had served in China for nearly a decade.

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Olive-Form Vase with Incised Interlocking Scroll: The Line That Never Ends

The Story In the spring of 1085, a scholar named Wang Huai sat in his studio, unable to write. He had been appointed to a post in the capital-a great

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Song Cizhou Black Glazed Vase: The Fish That Swims Through Darkness

The Story In the winter of the third year of the Jingyou era-1036 by Western reckoning-a potter named Li worked the clay at a kiln in northern China,

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Song Ru Ware Qingliangsi Celestial Crackle Meiping: The Sky After Rain

In the spring of 1107, the artist Zhao Ji—Emperor Huizong of the Song—dreamed of a color. He had seen every shade the imperial kilns could produce.

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