Flower Vase with Dragon Motif

This vase is a superb example of sgraffito technique. First the body was covered in layers of cream slip (diluted clay) and the dragon painted in dark brown slip. Details were incised through to the cream slip beneath, and the piece was then covered in a transparent glaze and fired. The success of this piece derives from the remarkable synergy between the form of the vessel and the dragon. Unlike most ceramics of this period, the vase is inscribed on one of the petals at the foot with the name of its maker, "Flower vase made by the Liu Family."

Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust