The creamy celadon glaze of this tea bowl is typical of wares made in the Longquan area of southern China beginning in the tenth century. Many Longquan celadons are a darker green. Longquan wares became an important export commodity, widely collected in Southeast Asia and the Middle East and highly influential on ceramic production in Japan and Korea. This is an especially elegant example: its perfectly symmetrical shape reflects Confucian values of rectitude and balance and correct relationships in society.