Ewer with petal-shaped mouth

The petal-mouthed form as well as the gourd appliqués in shallow-relief on the top and base of the handle of this ewer were adopted from West Asian metalwork. The footring, showing clearly the cut-off outer sides and wide ring edge, illustrates the method commonly used in northern kilns during the period. The gongxian kiln in Henan was a major manufacturer of these squat-shaped, black-glazed pots with a two-bar handle (ZGMS Quanji 1988 vol. II: pls. 30, 46; ZGCP Zhanlan 1981: fig. 369).