Yaobian Trumpet Mouth Vase

This Yaobian Trumpet Mouth Vase is handcrafted in Jingdezhen using traditional porcelain-making techniques passed down through generations. Its elegant form combines a broad, rounded body with a tall, gently flared neck, creating a beautifully balanced silhouette that allows the remarkable glaze to take centre stage.

The vase is finished in a spectacular yaobian glaze, flowing from soft cream and pale blue across the body into streaks of violet, burgundy and deep crimson around the neck and rim. These colours develop naturally during firing, creating rich movement and subtle tonal variation across the surface. As a result, every vase is entirely unique.

Yaobian (窑变), meaning “kiln transmutation”, refers to the extraordinary colour changes that occur as the glaze reacts to heat and atmosphere within the kiln. Flambé glazes were first developed during the Song Dynasty and later perfected at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen during the Kangxi reign (1662–1722). Produced using carefully balanced iron and copper oxides, these glazes were admired for their depth, unpredictability and exceptional beauty.

Each vase is hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel before being glazed and fired by skilled artisans. Jingdezhen has been China’s foremost porcelain-making city since 1004 AD, with its imperial kilns producing some of the world’s finest ceramics for centuries. This remarkable heritage is now recognised through the recent UNESCO World Heritage inscription of Jingdezhen’s historic porcelain industry.

Porcelain occupies a unique place in Chinese history. While pottery has been made in China for over 15,000 years, true porcelain is generally believed to have emerged during the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD). Today, Jingdezhen continues this extraordinary tradition, producing porcelain that celebrates centuries of artistic excellence and technical mastery.

• Origin: Jingdezhen, China
• Date: Contemporary
• Materials: Hand-thrown porcelain with yaobian flambé glaze
• Features: Trumpet mouth form; flowing cream, blue, violet and crimson glaze; handcrafted; each piece individually fired so colours and patterns will vary
• Condition: Excellent new condition
• Dimensions: W22 x D22 x H28 cm
• Weight: 2.65 kg