Digital analysis and research on the structural characteristics of Yuan–Ming–Qing meiping forms

The morphological evolution of ancient Chinese porcelain encodes rich historical, cultural, and technological information. As a representative form, the meiping (plum vase) holds a significant position in typological, technological, and aesthetic studies. Existing research on meiping form predominantly relies on empirical descriptions, lacking systematic analysis and reproducible quantitative frameworks. This paper examines Jingdezhen meiping and proposes a quantitative workflow for vessel-form structure analysis based on two-dimensional photographs. The workflow includes geometric correction and scale restoration, a dimensionless diameter sequence, the median curve with an IQR band and 95% confidence bands, PCA-based dimensionality reduction, and discriminant validation. This study quantitatively constructs shape confidence interval bands for meiping across dynasties. Differences among Yuan, Ming, and Qing specimens are visualized via the median curve and its bands, providing quantitative evidence for morphological evolution. The proposed Morphometric representation shows discriminative potential under independent validation and provides quantitative support for chronological attribution and shape reconstruction.