Guan wine-storage jar (vase)

Large guan wine-storage jar made of porcelain with underglaze blue decorations (using imported Persian cobalt blue) depicting a qilin and phoenix in lotus scrolls, auspicious symbols, and peony scrolls. The brass band with engraved floral scrolls was later added in Iran (to replace the broken rim), and a cypher in Arabic script was painted on the base. This vessel would originally have had a cover which is now lost.