A White-glazed DING “Dragon” Ewer with Bas-relief of Lotus Petals

The ewer is built with a small mouth and a slender neck taking up half-length of the body, running slightly broader towards the shoulder and being intercepted by matched two discs in the middle (looks like an inverted funnel mounted on the top). It’s built with a bulging shoulder, a slanting short spout, a deep belly tapering downwards, and a flat bottom and a foot ring. Neck is decorated with two rings of intaglio carvings and the discs are carved with five rings. The spout is sculpted in dragon head, with two lips wide open, two sturdy horns bent backward, and big round eyes and ears below the horns. Three-layered lotus petals are carved on the shoulder and two rings of intaglio below; bas-relief of four-layered lotus petals decorated around the belly, are arranged alternatively and carved with veins and details in vivid fleshy visual effect. It is fully covered in white glaze, leaving the white biscuit exposed at the bottom of the foot ring.

Ewer Vase, also known as Kendi, according to the Explanation on Names written in the Song Dynasty, “the ewer, also known as Kendi in Sanskrit, mostly used to store water to wash hands.” The spout at the shoulder and the mouth at the top are openings for pouring water, of high convenience and delicate design.