The many popular ceramics that were manufactured in northern China during the Song dynasty are generally catalogued under the all-encompassing name "Cizhou." Almost synonymous with Cizhou (Tz'u Chou) is the robust ornamentation with which these stonewares were decorated. This large, heavily potted vase is a particularly dramatic example of a category of these ceramics with very dark, high-fired glazes.

A bold, abstract design has been carved deeply into the body of this vase, after which the entire piece was covered with the thick, brownish black glaze. Details of the chevrons and ovals were then incised through the glaze to the underlying, lighter-colored buff body, thus emphasizing the design. This simultaneous use of two decorative techniques, carving under and incising through the glaze, which is somewhat unusual, has produced exceptionally effective results.

The name meiping (plum blossom vase) is frequently given to the distinctive shape seen in this tall example with its small mouth, short neck, wide shoulders, and gracefully tapering sides, which suggest that it was intended to hold a branch of flowering plum. However, it is generally agreed that meiping vessels could equally well have been meant to store liquids.