Sky-Blue Glaze Wucai Dragon Phoenix-Head Flask: The Emperor's Vessel
Jun 03, 2026
Leave a message
The Story
The year is 1524. The Jiajing Emperor has ruled for three years, but his grip on power remains uncertain.
He was not meant to be emperor. He was a distant cousin, brought to Beijing as a teenager after the sudden death of his predecessor. The court officials expected a puppet. They were wrong.
On the morning of the winter solstice, the most sacred day of the ritual calendar, the emperor prepared to make offerings at the Altar of Heaven. Outside, the temperature had dropped below freezing. Inside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the air was thick with incense.
A eunuch entered, carrying a flask.
It was not a large vessel-perhaps twenty-one centimeters tall-but it commanded attention. Its body was flattened, round as the moon, with a slender neck rising from a small mouth. A phoenix's head formed the spout, its beak open, its crest swept back. A dragon's body arched across the top, its claws gripping the rim, its head forming the handle.
The flask was covered in a deep, oceanic blue glaze-the color of the sky at dusk, the color of the sacrifice, the color reserved for offerings to Heaven.
Across its surface, a five-clawed dragon coiled through clouds of gold and green. Its scales shimmered, its eyes blazed, its body twisted with contained power.
The eunuch placed the flask on the altar. The Jiajing Emperor stepped forward, lifted it with both hands, and poured wine into a bronze cup.
He did not drink. He poured the wine onto the ground-an offering to Heaven, to the ancestors, to the forces that held the universe together.
Behind him, the court officials bowed. The flask had done what it was made to do: it had connected the Son of Heaven to the realm beyond.
Decades passed. The Jiajing Emperor grew old and died. The dynasty weakened. The Manchu armies swept south, and the Ming fell.
The flask survived. It passed from the Forbidden City into the hands of a Manchu prince, who hid it when the foreign armies came. It passed to his son, then to his grandson.
In the 1920s, a young English collector named Edward Ashworth was visiting Beijing. He was a man of modest means but immaculate taste-a scholar of Chinese ceramics who had published articles in The Burlington Magazine. An old friend took him to a private home in the diplomatic quarter, where an elderly Manchu nobleman was selling his collection.
The nobleman was hesitant. "These are not for the market," he said. "These are for those who understand."
Ashworth looked at the pieces laid out on the rosewood table: a blue-and-white jar, a pair of famille rose cups, a celadon brush washer. Then the nobleman reached into a lacquer cabinet and brought out the flask.
Ashworth did not speak for a long time.
"What do you see?" the nobleman asked.
Ashworth reached out but did not touch. "I see the kiln at Jingdezhen," he said. "I see the potter who threw this shape, knowing that most would crack in the firing. I see the painter who outlined this dragon with a single, unbroken line. I see the emperor who lifted it at the Altar of Heaven."
The nobleman smiled. "You see correctly."
Ashworth bought the flask. He carried it back to England, where it sat on his desk for thirty years. When he died, it passed to his daughter, and then to her grandson.
Now, nearly five centuries after it was made, the flask has come to Verity Antique.
It waits for the next steward.
The Form: Moonflask, Pilgrim's Vessel
The moonflask (baoyue ping) is one of the most iconic shapes in Chinese ceramic history.
Its form is flattened and round, like the full moon, with a slender neck rising from a small mouth. The name "pilgrim flask" comes from its original inspiration: the leather water bottles carried by travelers along the Silk Road.
By the Ming dynasty, the form had been transformed. What was once a practical vessel for desert journeys became a ceremonial object for the imperial court. The flattened body provided a perfect canvas for decoration; the rounded edges caught the light; the slender neck demanded careful handling.
On this flask, approximately 21 cm in height with a belly diameter of 17 cm, the moonflask form is rendered with extraordinary precision.
Mouth diameter: 4 cm-small, delicate, designed for pouring ritual wine
Belly diameter: 17 cm-full, round, like the moon at its peak
Weight: approximately 1200 g-substantial, satisfying, confident
The flask was not designed for daily use. It was designed for ceremony-for the moments when the emperor needed a vessel worthy of Heaven itself.
The Handles: Phoenix and Dragon, Yin and Yang
The phoenix-head spout and dragon-form handle are the flask's most distinctive features.
The Phoenix
The phoenix (fenghuang) is the queen of birds-the symbol of the empress, of feminine grace, of harmonious rule. Her appearance heralds peace and prosperity.
On this flask, the phoenix's head forms the spout. Her beak is open, as if singing. Her crest is swept back, as if in flight. Her neck curves down to meet the body of the flask.
The Dragon
The dragon (long) is the king of beasts-the symbol of the emperor, of masculine power, of celestial authority. His appearance heralds strength and protection.
On this flask, a stylized chilong dragon forms the handle. His body arches across the top of the flask. His claws grip the rim. His head rests near the mouth, as if watching over the wine as it pours.
Together, the phoenix and dragon create a perfect balance:
| Motif | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Phoenix | Empress, feminine, grace, peace |
| Dragon | Emperor, masculine, power, protection |
This is the yin-yang of the imperial court-the necessary union of complementary forces for a prosperous and well-ordered realm.
The Glaze: Sky-Blue, Sacrificial Blue
The sky-blue glaze (jilan) -also known as "sacrificial blue"-is one of the most difficult monochromes in ceramic history.
The glaze is made from pure cobalt pigment, ground to a fine powder and suspended in a feldspathic base. It is applied thickly, then fired at a high temperature in a reduction atmosphere.
The result is a deep, oceanic blue-the color of the sky at dusk, the color of the heavens, the color reserved for offerings to the gods.
The glaze's name refers to its use on ritual wares. At the Altar of Heaven, the emperor offered wine from vessels covered in this blue. The color connected the earthly ruler to the celestial realm.
On this flask, the jilan glaze is exceptional. It is deep and luminous, with the characteristic Ming depth and luster. Under light, it seems to absorb and reflect simultaneously, creating a surface that is both solid and infinite.
The Dragon: Five Claws, Imperial Authority
The five-clawed dragon is the ultimate symbol of the emperor.
In Ming China, the use of the five-clawed dragon was strictly forbidden to anyone below the throne. It appeared on imperial robes, on palace furniture, and on ceramic vessels reserved for court use.
On this flask, the dragon is rendered in green wucai enamel with original gilded outlines.
The dragon coils across the surface of the flask, its body twisting through clouds of gold and flame. Its scales are picked out in luminous green. Its eyes are fierce. Its claws-five of them-grasp at the air.
The gilded outlines are particularly rare. Gold was expensive, difficult to apply, and easily worn away over time. The fact that this flask retains its original gilding-with appropriate age-related patination-is exceptional.
Around the dragon, fiery clouds and auspicious blooms complete the composition. The clouds represent the dragon's dominion over the weather; the blooms represent prosperity and harmony.
The Wucai Palette: Five Colors, Imperial Splendor
The wucai (five-color) palette was developed during the Ming dynasty as a complement to blue-and-white.
Where blue-and-white was restrained and elegant, wucai was bold and celebratory. The palette expanded to include:
| Color | Source | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Iron oxide | Celebration, good fortune |
| Green | Copper oxide | Life, vitality |
| Yellow | Iron oxide | Imperial prestige |
| Purple | Manganese | Distinction, rarity |
| Turquoise | Copper | Heaven, clarity |
On this flask, the dragon is painted in green enamel, with gilded outlines and touches of red for the flames.
The effect is rich and luminous. Under light, the enamels catch and glow. The dragon seems to move.
The Form's Journey: From Silk Road to Forbidden City
The moonflask form tells a story of global exchange.
Its original inspiration came from Islamic metalwork and Central Asian leather water bottles-practical vessels carried by travelers along the Silk Road.
When the form reached China, the Ming potters transformed it. What was once a utilitarian object became a ceremonial vessel. The flattened body, which had been designed to fit against a traveler's hip, became a canvas for imperial decoration.
This is the genius of Ming ceramics: the ability to absorb foreign influences, transform them, and make them unmistakably Chinese.
Rarity: Why This Flask Is Exceptional
Surviving Ming imperial flasks with phoenix-head spouts and dragon-form handles are exceptionally rare.
Most were broken in the kiln, damaged in use, or lost over the centuries. The combination of jilan glaze, wucai enamel, and original gilding is almost unheard of.
Of those that survive, most are held in museum collections. The Palace Museum in Beijing has a few examples. The British Museum has one. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one.
This flask is one of the few remaining in private hands.
Its condition is exceptional:
Intact: No cracks, no chips, no repairs
Original gilding: Surviving with appropriate age patination
Vibrant enamels: The green dragon still glows
No restoration: The flask is as it was made
Use and Ambiance
Ideal for: museum display | executive office | private collection
As the pinnacle of a collection
This flask deserves a place of absolute honor: a dedicated, secure display cabinet with UV-filtered lighting, a custom stand under focused illumination.
As an object of imperial authority
In an executive office, boardroom, or formal reception hall, its presence instantly communicates power, historical depth, and an uncompromising standard of beauty.
As a fragment of the Forbidden City
To own this flask is to hold a vessel that once stood on the altar of Heaven, that was lifted by the hands of an emperor, that witnessed the rituals that held the universe together.
Care Instructions
| Task | Method |
|---|---|
| Handling | Support the base with both hands. Never lift by the phoenix spout or dragon handle. |
| Cleaning | Dry dust only, with a very soft brush. Do not use water, cloths, or polishes. |
| Display | Avoid direct sunlight, high humidity, and high-traffic areas. |
| Preservation | A museum-quality display case is strongly recommended. |
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Period | Ming Dynasty, mid-to-late (likely Zhengde or Jiajing reign) |
| Material | Porcelain with jilan sky-blue glaze, overglaze gilding, and wucai enamels |
| Dimensions | Height: approx. 21 cm; Mouth: 4 cm; Belly: 17 cm; Base: 8 cm |
| Weight | Approx. 1200 g |
| Form | Flattened moonflask (baoyue ping) with phoenix-head spout and dragon-form handle |
| Glaze | Deep jilan sacrificial blue with characteristic Ming depth and luster |
| Primary Motif | Imperial five-clawed dragon in green enamel with original gilded outlines |
| Condition | Excellent; intact; no restoration; original gilding with appropriate age patination |
| Provenance | Forbidden City → Manchu family → English collection (1920s) → Verity Antique |
You May Also Enjoy
Song Ru Celadon Gallbladder Vase / Song Dynasty
Dragon's Gaze Copper Censer / Ming Dynasty
Inquire Now
Only one flask is available. The dragon coils. The phoenix sings. They do not wait.
Price: $2,0000 USD
For detailed condition reports, additional photographs, or to arrange a private viewing, please contact us directly.
To hold this flask is to hold a fragment of the Forbidden City. To display it is to become the next steward of an emperor's vessel.
This genuine Ming Dynasty sky-blue glaze wucai dragon phoenix-head flask is available exclusively through Verity Antique.