Jingdezhen Porcelain Jar Ornament, 'Winter Pine'

Blue & White Porcelain Jar Ornament

A miniature lidded jar painted with a windswept pine. The pine stays green through winter, and in Chinese art it stands for resilience and long life. Jingdezhen, in China's Jiangxi province, has been the country's porcelain capital for more than a thousand years. Its fine white clay (the word kaolin comes from nearby Gaoling village) and its imperial kilns made Chinese blue-and-white, qīnghuā, famous around the world: designs painted in cobalt beneath a clear glaze, then fired at high heat so the blue glows from within the porcelain. Hung on a navy satin ribbon.

• Country / Region: China
• Artisan: Jingdezhen porcelain workshop
• Material: Glazed porcelain, satin ribbon
• Dimensions: 6 cm tall x 5.5 cm
• Weight: 10 g