This Song Dynasty stoneware jar, featuring an applied dragon in pursuit of the flaming pearl, is a powerful and dynamic example of Chinese ceramic art from the 10th–13th centuries. Coated in a deep brown glaze, the surface is animated by flowing phosphatic drips—milky rivulets that cascade down the shoulders, a striking contrast to the dark ground, creating a dramatic, almost volcanic effect.
The dragon, modeled in high relief and wrapped sinuously around the shoulder, embodies imperial power, vitality, and cosmic energy, while the flaming pearl symbolizes wisdom and immortality. This classic motif of the dragon chasing the pearl was not only decorative but steeped in Daoist cosmology and mythology
