Meiping vase with lotus flowers

Referred to as the "moon white" glaze in studies of shiwan ware, this type of glaze has lasted for hundreds years in the Guangdong ceramic industry. Various vases and jars with such glaze were molded with relief motifs in an attempt to imitate the decoration on longquan celadon wares of Zhejiang. In fact, some shiwan wares were probably finished by potters from Zhejiang (Scollard 1994: 44, fig. 1). The common feature of the glaze is its dark beige color. The glaze is applied quite thickly in order to cover the straw-colored body. This is a wonderful example expressing the shiwan potters' aspirations to create antique forms for enjoyment as interior design.