Chinese Ceramic Vase

A lemon-yellow bulb balanced on a turned stem, like a chess piece with a sense of humor.

This vase comes from Nanyang in Henan Province, China, and is contemporary, of egg shell and Nanyang porcelain. Yellow glazes were historically linked in China with the imperial court, and a bright monochrome yellow remains a bold choice for a small vase. The upper body is a lobed bulb beneath a ruffled mouth, the waist is ringed like a spindle, and the base flares into a fluted foot. A fine crackle covers the whole glaze. It is 7.5 inches high and 3.25 in diameter.

Sunny, symmetrical and entirely sure of itself.