A White-glazed DING Pot with Bas-relief of Lotus Petals and Peony Flowers(Seal Mark: Guan)

With a globular body and a matching lid, the pot is intact as a whole. The lid, decorated with an everted edge, and bulged in the centre with carvings of bas-relief of double-layered lotus petals and a calyx on top as the knob, has an inner joint ring to match the opening of the pot. The pot has a flared mouth and straight neck, an everted shoulder, a bulging belly, tapering downward till the flat bottom and the foot ring. A frieze bas-relief of peony flowers is decorated around the shoulder above two rings; while bas-relief of three-layered lotus petals are carved on the belly with vivid veins and details. It is covered overall in white glaze, leaving its white biscuit exposed at the foot bottom and carved with a seal of“官”（GUAN）in running script.

From the late Tang Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, porcelain wares from kiln DING were all marked with carving seals of various kinds among which, the seal of“官” started to prevail from the late Tang Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, yet with an unspecified meaning; some scholars believe it indicates an abbreviation of“太官署”(department of royal kitchen), or means the royal style or the local royal kilns. Despite different stories, such wares must be produced exclusively for the official government or royal courtyard, hence representing the highest quality of porcelain wares from the kiln DING.