Jingdezhen Cobalt Porcelain Jar Ornament, 'Winter Plum'

Cobalt Porcelain Jar Ornament

White plum blossom on deep cobalt. The plum flowers in midwinter, so it is celebrated in China as a symbol of hope and renewal in the coldest season. 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