For early Ming vases of this design, see H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne, The Pierre Uldry Collection, pl. 17; and two examples sold in these Rooms, 3 November 1998, lot 1045, and 26 April 1999, lot 560.

The inspiration for this arrow-vase shape comes from Song ceramics. For an example, see the geyao vase from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong bowuguan cang wenwu zhengpin quanji, no. 37.