Ge-Type Blue-and-White Prunus Vase with Pine, Plum and Crane Designs in Ochre Coloring Made in Jiajing’s Reign of Ming

This prunus vase is graceful in modeling and entirely glazed. The grayish white Ge-type glaze is mellow and glittering. The themed design on the belly includes blue-and-white pine, plum and cranes in ochre coloring. There is a longevity pine and a red plum in the picture, branches of which are painted in ochre; the pine leaves are decorated in blue-and-white; the plum blossoms are embellished in white glazed powder, which became raised after firing at a high temperature. Pure white plum blossoms and green pine leaves constitute a pattern with distinctly contrasting colors and layers. There are also two red-crowned cranes. One stands on a tree branch, while the other stretches out its wings as if it were about to fly. They echo with each other between the pine and plum. The entire design is based on the implication of "good fortune as spring branches", "living together in conjugal bliss" and "longevity". The ochre coloring, blue-and-white designs and white glazed powder painting were alternately utilized, which constituted layered compositions and an intensive three-dimensional effect.