Chinese Ceramic Vase

Two plump bulbs, one stacked on the other, in a glaze the color of a clear afternoon.

This vase comes from Nanyang in Henan Province, China, and is contemporary, of egg shell and Nanyang porcelain. The double gourd is a favorite Chinese shape, since the gourd is often associated with prosperity and long life. The upper bulb is small and the lower one broad, joined by a ringed waist and sitting on a short foot. The glaze is a bright sky blue, covered with a net of dark crackle and a few small dark flecks. It is 6.75 inches high and 3.5 in diameter.

Top-heavy would be unkind. It is merely top-modest.