Overview

This vase, which was made in the elegant Meipin (Mei-ping) style with a design of peonies in black on a white surface, is typical for porcelains from the kiln in Ci-zhou Province during the Northern Song Dynasty in China. The rough gray surface was first painted white and then coated with black iron glaze. The design was carved into this glaze to show the white layer below it. Unwanted black glazing was scraped off and then the blank space was again painted white. Next, the area was transparently glazed over, and finally baked in the kiln. Through this method, the black peony design appeared on a mild milky-white surface. This method was used not only in Ci-zhou Province but also at the private kilns of northern China, such as He-bei, He-nan, Shan-dong, and Shan-xi Provinces. The design is quite tasteful and reveals the modernistic phase of the Northern Song Dynasty.