This vase was named after an ancient wine, 'yu hu chun' (玉壶春). A typical vessel shape in the Song repertoire of ceramics, the name also refers to its pear-shaped body. Other features that are common to this type of vessel include a flared mouth, a waisted neck and a long slender neck. The vase is covered with a dark brown glaze which stops unevenly at the foot. This type of vase was popular during the Song, Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Some of these vases also contain a thin inner container for holding flowers.
