Traditional Chinese Vases and Other Vessels – Part 1

The same forms last for centuries. They can be made out of pottery or porcelain, jade, other precious stones or metal.

Often they originally had lids, although lids get lost. The same basic shape has many variations, with and without handles.

Hu Wine Vessels

One of the earliest ceramic forms, the hu harks back to before the Shang dynasty (1600-1045 BCE). First made in pottery, the hu evolved into the bronze form as a ritual wine vessel with a pear-shaped cross section, swelling at the belly, then flaring at a narrow neck, creating an S-shape profile… In the Qing dynasty Kangxi period (r. 1662-1722), the shape would appear in porcelain with holes around the foot…

The Origins and Evolution of Chinese Ceramic Shapes, Sothebys

He Wine Kettles

… This form appeared in the 11th-10th century BCE as a bronze ritual wine vessel, often found in tripod form and later evolved into animal-form vessels on four legs…

…scholar Wang Guowei (1877-1927) described… banqueters… diluting wine using water poured from a he.

The Origins and Evolution of Chinese Ceramic Shapes, Sothebys

Meiping, Plum or Prunus Vases

The meiping originated in the Tang dynasty (618-907) as a wine storage vessel often found in tombs. Later the shape was used for decorative vases during the Song dynasty… The name ‘plum vase’ comes from the use of placing plum blossoms in the vase. The body is tall and slender with a short narrow neck, broad rounded shoulders, tapering to a narrow base. They sometimes had lids, which were often lost, and variations include hexagonal meiping vases.

The Origins and Evolution of Chinese Ceramic Shapes, Sothebys

Yuhuchunping, Pear-Shaped Vases

With its long slender neck and gentle curves outlining its elegant silhouette, the form of this vessel in Chinese is called yuhuchun (‘spring in a jade bottle’).

A blue and white ‘figural’ vase, Yuhuchunping, Yuan dynasty, Sothebys

 

Cong Vases

A square-shaped vase with a short neck and a flat base, the cong is one of the oldest Chinese vessels. It may be made of pottery or porcelain or even jade or other precious materials.

Huluping Double-Gourd Vases

The double-gourd vase, hulu ping, is based on the hourglass-shaped gourd vegetable.

The Origins and Evolution of Chinese Ceramic Shapes, Sothebys

Gu, Beaker Vase, Flaring Vases

Gu “beaker-form” vases are wider at the bottom, narrow in, then have a bulbous mid-section and a flaring neck.

Suantouping, Garlic-Mouth Vase, Garlic-Head-Shaped Vases

Baoyueping, Bianhu, Moonflask, Pilgrim Flasks

… Ming dynasty Yongle period that ceramic shapes copied Middle Eastern metalwork brought into China by traders and tribute bearers… the moonflask, with its circular body, domed on one side and flat on the unglazed reverse, opening at the top with a short neck and narrow mouth. Some Ming versions have the compressed spherical body on both sides.

The Origins and Evolution of Chinese Ceramic Shapes, Sothebys

Shiliuzun, Pomegranate Vases, Apple Vases

Shiliuzun have a round body and a short neck to match the shape of a pomegranate. These vases began to be made in the Yongzheng period (1722 – 1735) of the Qing dynasty.