Jingdezhen Cobalt Lotus Linglong Guanyin Vase

Cobalt lotus scrolls follow the central axis of this Guanyin vase, leaving broad white fields for the hand-worked linglong windows. In ordinary light the piercing reads as a quiet secondary pattern; against a brighter background, the floral openings become luminous.

Guanyin zun is an established Chinese form name. Christie’s describes a Kangxi-period example as a slender baluster vase and notes that the same shape is identified as guanyin zun in the National Palace Museum. The present Jingdezhen vase carries that long, gently swelling outline into a surface where lotus and light share equal importance.

The light effect belongs to another Jingdezhen tradition. British Museum records describe rice-grain porcelain in which patterned openings are filled with glaze. Here, hand-worked linglong panels are paired with in-glaze cobalt decoration, giving the 26 cm vase a different reading in daylight and backlight. The lotus brings its familiar wish for purity and renewal, while the translucent windows make that symbolism literally brighten against the light.

• Material: High-white Jingdezhen porcelain
• Origin: Jingdezhen, China
• Form: Guanyin vase with a slender baluster body and flared mouth
• Decoration: In-glaze cobalt lotus scrolls
• Craft: Hand-worked linglong translucent windows
• Firing: High-fired at 1310°C / 2390°F
• Height: 26 cm / 10.2 in
• Included: One porcelain vase and one presentation box
• Date: Contemporary