Longquan Celadon · Secret-Color Orchid Small Gallbladder Vase

Place of Origin: Zhejiang, China
Handcrafted by Zhu Haoqi (Master of Arts and Crafts, New-generation Longquan Celadon Artisan)
Handcrafted. One of a kind.Signed collector’s certificate included.
This vase is made by Zhu Haoqi, a Master of Arts and Crafts from a celadon family in Longquan. He learned the craft from his father and later studied under Master Craftsman Li Zhen.

The gallbladder vase — narrow above, round below, like a hanging gallbladder — is a classic Song-dynasty form. At just 12cm, it sits easily in one hand — the Song aesthetic of “small vessel, great elegance.” The body is rounded and graceful, its lines flowing from mouth to belly, then tapering to the foot.

On the vase, an orchid is carved in raised relief — the background cut away so the flower stands proud of the surface. A demanding technique: one slip of the knife, and the work is ruined. The leaves curve and lift; the petals layer and rise, catching the light with a strong three-dimensional quality — as if the orchid has grown from the vase itself. The orchid, a symbol of the noble soul, brings a quiet fragrance to any desk.

The glaze is Secret-color — a name from the Tang dynasty, when Yue kiln celadon was reserved for imperial tribute. Lu Guimeng wrote: “The autumn wind opens the Yue kiln, seizing a thousand peaks of emerald green.” The surface is pure, with no crackle, smooth as jade. Quiet and deep — not as bright as Fenqing, but carrying an ancient depth that complements the orchid’s grace.

Each piece is unique. Hand-thrown and hand-carved, one at a time. The orchid, the glaze, the form — each one slightly different. This is the mark of the maker — and the mark of a piece that exists only once.