Large vase

This shape with an elongated neck and a globular belly is traditionally known as a “celestial globular bottle,” a new form introduced by the Islamic world to the Chinese porcelain industry during the early fifteenth century, when a Chinese naval fleet traveled as far as eastern Africa. Such porcelain vases appear in various sizes and are used to hold flowers or wine for rituals or everyday use. During the Qing dynasty, many large celestial globular vases were made in particular at the imperial ceramics shop in Jingdezhen for decorating the grand palaces in the capital, Beijing.