Minneapolis Institute of Art

Bottle vase (tianqiu ping)

China

Date

18th century

Medium

Glazed ceramic

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This bottle vase, known as tianqiu ping (‘Vase resembling the rounded celestial sphere’), is coveted for its rich lustrous magenta and oxblood flambé glaze with lavender and blue streaks. These result from copper or other metallic materials that break up in the firing process and flow down the surface as the glaze liquifies in the heat of the kiln. The glaze creates a great abstract effect, and it is impossible to find two identical pieces even in the same shape, because the method is not entirely controllable. China, Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.