Note: The present jar and cover represents the very best of the famous 'cracked ice' pattern. The painting of the figural scenes reveals a sensitivity akin to ink on silk and the depth of the layering to created the 'cracked ice' effect is remarkable. The decoration of the entire form serves as a harbinger of spring with its new beginnings  full of good promise. Meng Haoren (c. 690-740), one of the most renowned Tang dynasty poets, inspired a play, written by Ma Zhiyan during the Yuan dynasty, entitled Meng Haoren Looking for Plum Blossoms on a Snowy Day in which the poet is upheld as a model of integrity and dogged determination in seeking out the finest example of the late winter blooming prunus flower. The other scene involves another major literary figure of the Tang dynasty Han Yu (768-824). A famous story of the poet relates his plight after being exiled by the Taizong emperor, wherein he finds himself trapped in a severe snowstorm at the Lantian Pass in Shaanxi and is saved by the immortal Han Xiangzi, who guides him to safety.