Peony Garden Stool

Ornately decorated in high relief, this ceramic drum stool is an expressive example of sancai, or “three colors,” ware. This technique was developed during the Tang dynasty and typically combines green, cream and amber glazes. During firing, the glazes run and mix, animating the surface and highlighting its textural forms. Promising hope for an enlightened future, the stool’s decoration includes extravagant blooming peonies, a scholar and guardian lions that serve as handles.