125 - A BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN MEIPING VASE, CHINA, MING DYNASTY

A BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN MEIPING VASE, CHINA, MING DYNASTY Dimensions: Height 30 cm Wide 19 cm Depth 19 cm Weight: 2602 grams A blue-and-white porcelain meiping with broad rounded shoulders tapering toward a narrow foot, the short neck finished with a thickened rim. The body is painted in underglaze cobalt with fruiting branches bearing pomegranates, peaches and other auspicious fruits, their leaves and stems arranged as separate sprays across the pale ground. Formal petal borders at the shoulder and foot frame the principal decoration and reinforce the vase's balanced silhouette. Fruit motifs carried a rich symbolic vocabulary in Chinese decorative art. Peaches were associated with longevity, while the many seeds of the pomegranate evoked fertility and abundant descendants. Presented on the compact, elegant meiping form, these motifs create a composition that is both decorative and auspicious. The cobalt painting varies naturally from strong outlines to softer washes, giving the fruit and foliage a lively hand-painted character. The disciplined register layout and generous undecorated spaces allow the individual sprays to remain clear and visually distinct.