This vase was inspired by the shape of an ancient bronze ritual wine vessel called 'gu' of the Shang period (c.1700-1027 BCE). Unlike other large vases, which were potted in sections and joined at the middle, this gu vase seems to have been potted in one piece. During the Song dynasty (960-1279), with the study of catalouging ancient bronzes in the Imperial collection, archaic style, ceramic vessels became fashionable amongst scholar-experts. The use of these out of date wares continued during the Ming dynasty (1368-1643) and was revived during the reign of Qianlong (1736-1795).Dehua, located on the southeast coast of Fujian province, is well known for its production of white porcelain, known to Europeans as 'blanc de Chine'. The earliest Dehua porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century but the production and quality of these porcelain peaked around the 17th and 18th centuries.
