This qingbai dropper is in the form of a double Mandarin duck. The male duck has an open throat while the female has a hole in her back for pouring in water. The inside is covered with a thick bluish-green glaze. Beneath the glaze can be seen fainlty incised feathers.The name qingbai alludes to the bluish-tinged glaze that covered the white ceramic body of these vessels. Qingbai wares were developed during the Song dynasty (960-1279), in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. They were exported in large quantities to Southeast Asia from the 12th century onwards although pieces such as these were usually made for the domestic market.
