A meiping is a type of vase in Chinese ceramics. It is traditionally used to display branches of plum blossoms. The meiping was first made of stoneware during the Tang dynasty (618–907). It was originally used as a wine vessel, but since the Song dynasty (960–1279) it also became popular as a plum vase and got its name “meiping”. It is tall, with a narrow base spreading gracefully into a wide body, followed by a sharply-rounded shoulder, a short and narrow neck, and a small opening.
They may have lids, and many lids have no doubt been lost. The equivalent shape in Korean ceramics, where it was derived from Chinese examples, is called a Maebyeong. A distinct variant is the “truncated meiping”, where there is only the top half of the usual shape, giving a squat vase with a wide bottom. This is largely restricted to Cizhou ware. Reference: Wikipedia
Below are some examples, information and price guides to antique Meiping vases depiciting butterflies including a cloisonne vase and a famille rose copper-red-ground butterfly vase.
A FAMILLE ROSE COPPER-RED-GROUND ‘BUTTERFLY’ VASE, MEIPING 18TH-19TH CENTURY The vase is covered in a deep red glaze with flambé tones to the base and is decorated to one side in famille rose with an enamelled butterfly.
Sold for GBP 12,500 at Christies in 2017
CHINESE QING PERIOD BRONZE MEIPING VASE
with raised leaf blossom and butterfly decoration. Seal mark of Qianlong to base 25 cm. high at Sheppard’s Irish Auction House in 2020
A CLOISONNE ENAMEL VASE (MEIPING) LATE MING DYNASTY of baluster form, enameled with butterflies in flight amidst scattered peach sprigs, lotus, prunus and peony sprays, with a ruyi-head border at the shoulder and lotus at the rim, all reserved on a turquoise-blue ground, the later added base chased with an apocryphal four-character Qianlong mark Height 12 3/8 in., 31.5 cm
Sold for 20,000 USD at Sotheby’s in 2016
A copper-red and blue baluster vase, meiping Qianlong seal mark and of the period Painted around the exterior with a blossoming peony spray, with the leafy petals picked out in copper-red, with a pair of butterflies in flight, all beneath an even pale blue glaze. 13.1cm (5in) high.
Sold for £ 12,000 inc. premium at Bonhams in 2010
