Vase

Vase, with cylindrical body tapering at base, and short neck. Mountain landscape with pavilions half hidden in clouds, two men and two ladies in front of balustrade, in brilliant blue. Above, a poetical inscription in ten characters. On the shoulders, band of crackled ice pattern and on neck, bamboo and rock. It is painted in underglaze blue with a scene from the play 'The Romance of the Western Chamber' (Xi Xiang Ji). Mark in four characters of Chenghua period (1465-1487 AD) but the vase is of Kangxi date.