花瓶 · Vase with Dragon Roundels

Each side of this lavender-colored vase is nearly covered with a low-relief design of a four-clawed dragon curled around a flaming jewel. The box lid carries an attestation by Yohei IV that the vase was produced by his predecessor, and the signature on the base is one Yohei III used later in his career. The lid also makes reference to Jun (J. Kin) ware, which was made in numerous kilns in what is now Yuzhou or Yuxian in Henan Province, China, during the Northern Song dynasty. Some Jun wares had an opalescent purple glaze, which was clearly the inspiration for the color seen on this vase.