Vase

Celadons are a family of green glazes whose colour range from a brownish yellow-green through deep blue-green to grey-green, depending on the time and place of production. Lung-ch'uan is a southern type of celadon, grey-green to grey-blue, enjoying its greatest development from the Sung Dynasty onward. Wares with these glazes were widely exported. The shape of this vase was particularly favoured in Japan, where the term "mallet" was applied, since the shape is reminiscent of a paper beater.

The phoenix is a supernatural bird which presides over the southern quadrant of the heavens, and therefore symbolizes sun and warmth.

A mallet shaped ceramic vase with an angled rounded lower body which angles inward, tapering into a cylindrical neck that has two handles in the shape of a phoenix. Foot ring cut from base. Light yellow-brown body with thick, opaque, grey-blue-green slightly lustrous glaze covering entire vessel, stopping just short of base. Glaze has wide crackle, yellow-brown in colour. Paper label reads "1 JLS 2.2".