Ewer with Phoenixes. Culture: China. Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); Diam. 6 in. (15.2 cm). Date: 11th-12th century.This unique ewer, with its added decoration of a small figure on the handle and its fanciful spout and legs, illustrates the interest in complicated forms found in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in north China. Although they are not listed among the official kilns of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, historical sources indicate that Yaozhou wares were also produced for imperial use. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.