The MeiPing Vase (Plum Vase): History and Significance

History of the Mei Ping Vase In Chinese ceramics.

A Meiping (Chinese pinyin: méipng), meaning plum vase is a type of Chinese pottery vase inspired by the shape of a young female body. The Meiping was often a tall celadon vase made to resemble human characteristics, especially a small mouth, a short, narrow neck, a plump bosom, and a concave belly. It was designed to support a single plum tree bloom branch, hence the meaning of its name. During the Song (960–1279) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, the Meiping was very popular. The majority of Ming examples are white porcelain with blue underglaze. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the Meiping was first manufactured of stoneware. It was originally used as a wine vessel, but it became popular as a plum vase during the Song dynasty (960–1279), earning it the moniker "Meiping."

Image reference (above): Meiping vase from Qing Dynasty - The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Some originally had lids, although many have been lost over the years for the antique pieces. A Maebyeong is the equivalent shape in Korean pottery, where it was evolved from Chinese specimens. The "truncated meiping" is a different variant in which only the top half of the regular shape is present, resulting in a squat vase with a broad bottom. Cizhou ware is generally excluded from this.

Happiness Meiping Vase at Jade Celadon

At Jade Celadon, we have our very own beautiful Meiping vase available for sale, titled, The ‘Happiness Meiping Vase’. The natural forms of the Meiping vase, with its voluptuous curves, is a pleasure for the eyes, and its jubilant nature is indeed where one can find happiness in our surroundings. Our mini Meiping vase has a narrow base that spreads gracefully into a wide body, followed by a sharply-rounded shoulder, a short and narrow neck, and a small opening - Much like the archetypal shape of a female.

The Happiness Meiping Vase is a celebration of culture, heritage and femininity with its distinctly curvaceous forms, and contains an alluring juxtaposition of streamed ‘crackles’ carved on to it. They are gracefully done so, as one layer of the crackle effect, shown in a dark persian blue, can be likened to broad, clear strokes, whilst the other layer entails a more organic style, as its light brown pigment meanders to meet into, delicately crackled clusters. Each line that leads the eye, both playfully yet tactfully complement each other to create an inquisitively delightful design. As a perfect backdrop, the colour of the vase itself is a calming and serene shade of blue-green jade - a cooling shade that reminds us of the simplicity of nature's gifts, such as the calm tides of the ocean or the smooth, enchanting exterior of a jade stone.

Please contact us for enquiries on purchasing our artisanally made celadon "Happiness Meiping Vase". https://celadon.sg/products/happiness-meiping-vase