What Chu Chen held was a Lang Kiln Green Guanyin Vase. The vase had a flared mouth, a constricted neck, a folded shoulder, and a long, cylindrical body. Its shape was slender, with smooth lines, and its foot ring flared slightly outward. The inner wall was coated in white glaze, while the exterior was fully decorated with green glaze. The glaze layer was even and relatively thin, with a stable color. It was a vivid emerald green.
In addition, the glaze surface clearly displayed a strong glass-like luster, giving it the feel of jadeite. Fine crackles covered the area beneath the glaze, clinging tightly to the body; these were commonly known as "fly wings." Chu Chen examined it closely with a ten-power magnifying glass and saw dense, tiny specks on the glaze surface. These had formed from small bubbles within the glaze.
Near the foot of the base was a ring of glaze that drooped without reaching the foot, commonly known as "Lang Bu Liu." However, the dripping glaze was extremely natural and neat, creating the impression that the glaze had flowed toward the foot before abruptly stopping. The glaze had deepened in color where it was thickest, presenting a dark green hue.
The foot ring had a loach-back shape, while the inner wall curved inward. The inside of the foot was coated in a white glaze with a faint bluish tint, and there was no mark. Generally speaking, Qing imperial kiln wares were certain to bear the mark of the current dynasty. Lang Kiln Green and Lang Kiln Red were the only exceptions, leaving behind no imperial kiln marks. Nevertheless, the collecting world recognized them as unmarked imperial kiln wares.
All of these were typical characteristics of Lang Kiln Green. After carefully examining it, Chu Chen finally confirmed that