Sang de boeuf glaze — literally "ox blood" — is one of those Chinese ceramic achievements that took centuries to perfect and about five minutes to lose again: the deep copper-red colour comes from firing in a reduction kiln under conditions so exacting that entire batches would come out muddy brown or patchy if the temperature or atmosphere drifted even slightly. This vase takes the form of a hu, an ancient wine vessel shape with a pear-shaped body swelling up into a narrower neck, giving it that distinctive S-curve profile — a form that traces back to bronze ritual vessels made well before the Shang dynasty and got reinterpreted in porcelain centuries later, by which point everyone had presumably stopped using them to actually hold wine.
The deer head handles are a nice period touch, deer being one of the more reliable good-luck symbols in Chinese decorative art, standing in for longevity and official rank depending on which text you consult — useful information if you're ever asked to explain your dinnerware at a party. Set against the depth of the glaze, they give the piece a bit more visual interest than a plain hu form would manage on its own, and make it a strong contender for anywhere in the house that could use one confident object doing the heavy lifting.
Condition notes
Very good antique condition. Wear to gilt on handles.
