Blue and White Baluster Jar

First developed during the Tang dynasty, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain has been treasured by collectors for centuries. Renowned for its painterly decoration and the beautiful contrast of rich blue on white, this unique ceramic style begins with a design painted with a grayish-black, cobalt-based pigment that turns a brilliant blue upon firing.

This blue-and-white baluster jar has broad shoulders tapering to a splayed base, decorated with a dense pattern of six-petaled flowers and trailing vines. The neck is banded by multiple rings of ruyi, symbols of prosperity, and the base is painted in a meander-like pattern of rectangular lappets.