Double Tigers Medallion Flattened Vase: Guardian Tigers and Spring Rams
May 25, 2026
Leave a message
The Story
In the spring of 1522, a potter named Li worked at a Cizhou kiln in northern China.
He was not an imperial artisan. He did not make wares for the Forbidden City. His customers were farmers, merchants, and scholars of modest means-people who wanted beauty that spoke directly, without the subtlety of court taste.
Li had been a potter for forty years. His hands were scarred from hot kilns, his lungs heavy with clay dust. But he still loved the work-the feel of the wheel, the smell of the kiln, the moment when he opened the door and saw what the fire had made.
On this spring morning, he was making a vase.
It was not a simple vase. The form was flattened oval-pressed on two sides, creating broad front and back panels with narrow edges. The shape echoed ancient bronze vessels, giving the vase a sense of gravity and tradition.
Li covered the gray clay body with a layer of white slip-liquid clay that would fire to a smooth, bright surface. Then, while the slip was still wet, he picked up his carving tool.
He did not sketch first. His hand knew what to do.
On the front panel, he carved three rams. Their bodies were strong, their horns curled, their legs bent as if leaping.
On the side panels, he carved two tigers. Their mouths were open, their tails lashing, their bodies coiled with tension.
Between the animals, lotus vines twisted and bloomed-endless, interlocking, growing across the surface like living things.
When the carving was done, Li dipped the vase in a sea-green glaze-bright, translucent, the color of shallow water over sand.
Into the kiln.
When the firing ended and the kiln cooled, Li held the vase in his hands. The green glaze glowed. The rams seemed to leap. The tigers seemed to snarl.
The kiln is gone. Li is gone. But the vase remained-passing through scholar's studios, merchant's cabinets, and collector's shelves, across five centuries of Chinese history.
The Form: Flattened Oval, Echoing Antiquity
The flattened oval form of this vase is both ancient and practical.
Its broad front and back panels provide ideal surfaces for pictorial decoration-a canvas for the potter's knife. The narrow sides create a sculptural presence, a three-dimensionality that changes as the viewer moves around it.
This vase stands 28 cm tall, with a belly width of 12 cm and a side width of 9 cm. Its proportions are balanced, stable, dignified.
The form echoes ancient bronze vessels-the ritual objects of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. By the Ming dynasty, this archaism was deliberate. The Cizhou potter was connecting his folk art to the deepest roots of Chinese culture.
The Decoration: Three Rams, Two Tigers, Endless Vines
The vase is covered in incised decoration-the artisan's knife cutting through the white slip to reveal the dark clay beneath.
Front and Back: Three Rams Herald Spring
The three rams (三羊) are a classic Chinese auspicious motif.
The word for "ram" (羊, yang) is a homophone for "sun" (阳, yang) and for "auspiciousness" (祥, xiang).
Three rams together evoke the phrase sanyang kaitai (三阳开泰)-"three suns open prosperity," a saying that heralds the beginning of spring and the arrival of good fortune.
On this vase, the rams are carved with energy and confidence. Their bodies are strong. Their horns curl. Their legs lift as if leaping across the surface. These are not quiet animals. They are announcing something.
Sides: Double Tigers as Guardians
The two tigers occupy medallion frames on the sides of the vase.
The tiger is the king of beasts-the protector, the warrior, the force that wards off evil. In Chinese folk belief, images of tigers were placed at gates and doors to guard the home.
These tigers are not peaceful. Their mouths are open. Their tails lash. Their bodies coil with tension. They are alert-watching, waiting, ready.
Together, the rams and the tigers create a balance:
Three Rams: Peace, prosperity, renewal, spring
Double Tigers: Protection, power, guardianship, yang energy
Borders: Interlocking Lotus Vines
Between the animals, framing the panels, lotus vines twist and bloom without end.
The lotus rises from muddy water but blooms unstained-a symbol of purity, enlightenment, spiritual clarity.
The interlocking vines (缠枝, chanzhi) represent endless continuity, unbroken lineage, the passing of blessings from generation to generation.
Together, these motifs create a complete symbolic universe: peace and power, growth and protection, purity and prosperity-all coexisting on a single vessel.
The Glaze: Sea-Green, Bright as Jade
The sea-green glaze is the final layer of this vase's magic.
Lead-fluxed and translucent, the glaze pools slightly in the incised lines, darkening to a deeper green where it gathers. On the raised surfaces, it thins, allowing the white slip to glow through.
The color is vibrant-not the subtle celadon of court wares but a bright, joyful green. The color of spring fields. Of new bamboo. Of shallow water over sand.
Under light, the glaze catches and shifts. The incised lines cast shadows. The rams seem to move. The tigers seem to breathe.
Rarity: Why This Vase Matters
Flattened Cizhou vases of the Ming dynasty are scarce.
The flattened form is more difficult to throw on the wheel than a round vase. It is more prone to warping in the kiln.
Most surviving examples have suffered glaze loss, rim chips, or damage to the carved decoration.
This example is completely intact.
The sea-green glaze is vibrant. The incised lines are crisp-the rams still leap, the tigers still snarl. The lotus vines still twist without end.
No restoration. No repairs. Just five centuries of quiet survival.
Such condition is rare for a folk kiln piece of this age.
The Cizhou Tradition: Art of the People
The Cizhou kilns were the great democratic tradition of Chinese ceramics.
While Ru, Guan, Ge, and Ding served the court-producing wares of breathtaking refinement for emperors and nobles-Cizhou served the people. The kilns of northern China produced pottery for farmers, merchants, and scholars of modest means.
The aesthetic was not subtle. It was bold, direct, and alive.
Cizhou potters developed techniques the court kilns never touched:
Slip carving: cutting through white slip to reveal the dark body beneath
Sgraffito: scraping away glaze to create patterns
Iron painting: using iron-rich slip as pigment
Incised decoration: carving designs into the slip before glazing
The philosophy was simple: beauty does not require refinement. A bold line, a vivid color, a tiger that seems to snarl-these speak as directly as any court glaze.
This vase belongs to that tradition.
Use and Ambiance
Ideal for: the scholar's desk | the family altar | the collector's cabinet
As a focal point
This vase commands attention. Its vibrant green glaze, its bold animal motifs, its flattened form-all make it a striking presence on any surface.
Place it on a console table in an entryway, where the guardian tigers can protect the home. Place it on a mantel, where the spring rams can announce good fortune. Place it on a scholar's desk, where its stories can unfold in quiet contemplation.
As an auspicious talisman
This vase is not merely decorative. It is a talisman-a vessel of meaning, a carrier of blessings.
The rams bring prosperity and renewal. The tigers ward off evil. The lotus vines ensure continuity and harmony.
To display this vase is to invite these blessings into your home.
As a collector's treasure
For the serious collector of Chinese folk ceramics, this vase represents a quintessential Cizhou type. It combines complex form, multiple symbolic motifs, and exceptional preservation in a single piece.
Care Instructions
| Task | Method |
|---|---|
| Handling | Support base and body with both hands. The flattened form has an unusual center of gravity. |
| Cleaning | Dry dust only, with a soft brush. Do not use water or cleaners. |
| Display | Avoid direct sunlight, which can fade the green glaze over time. |
| Avoid | High-traffic areas where the vase could be knocked over. |
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Period | Ming Dynasty |
| Material | Cizhou ware: gray clay with white slip, sea-green lead-fluxed glaze |
| Dimensions | Height: 28 cm; Mouth: 7 cm; Belly width: 12 cm; Side width: 9 cm; Base: 8.5 cm |
| Form | Flattened oval vase with medallion panels |
| Decoration | Incised (an ke): three rams, double tigers, interlocking lotus vines |
| Glaze | Celadon-green, translucent, lead-fluxed |
| Condition | Excellent; crisp carving; vibrant glaze; no restoration |
| Provenance | European private collection → Verity Antique |
You May Also Enjoy
Dragon's Gaze Copper Censer / Ming Dynasty
Double Lion Wucai Porcelain Cup / Ming Dynasty
Cizhou Kiln Green-Glazed and Carved Double Dragon Zun Vase / Song Dynasty
Inquire Now
Only one vase is available. The tigers guard. The rams leap. They do not wait.
Price: $608 USD
For detailed condition reports, additional photographs, or to arrange a private viewing, please contact us directly.
To hold this vase is to hold five centuries of folk belief-the hope for prosperity, the need for protection, the enduring wish for a good spring.
This genuine Ming Dynasty Cizhou double tigers medallion flattened vase is available exclusively through Verity Antique.