Covered Box With Molded Peony Design. China, Song dynasty (960–1279), 13th century. Porcelain, transparent glaze with pale blue gray tint (Qingbai ware); 3 1/8 x 5 11/16 in. diameter (7.9 x 14.5 cm diameter). AG 1971.01. Kimbell Art Museum © 2013 Kimbell Art Museum

Qingbai ware, prized for its elegant restraint, was produced near the great ceramic center of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, in south China. These delicate porcelains are distinguished by a clear, bluish white glaze over incised, combed, or molded decoration. This box is embellished by a molded decoration which includes a single peony blossom with leaves on the cover and vertical ribbing on the sides.

Provenance: (N. V. Hammer, Inc., New York) by 1969; acquired by Kimbell Art Foundation, Fort Worth, gift of N.V Hammer, 1971.