Chinese 18th century Soft Paste porcelain meiping Vase

Kangxi blue and white meiping vase made from soft paste porcelain,

Painted to the outside with a boy carrying a lotus branch while riding a horse and a jumping boy with trees and a pair of birds

the production of soft paste porcelain in China was more expensive than the usual hard paste porcelain and when it was first developed was only used for the making of high staus small or miniature pieces associated with items belonging to the scholar.

The small vase was for the scholars table and would have been used for a small sprig / spray of flowers or tree blossom.

Soft paste porcelain as it was finally fired at a low temperature has a fine network of crazing to the glaze which can become discoloured or made to look discoloured