Chinese Ceramics From Tang to Song

Chinese pottery two-colour globular pouring vessel, hu, with broad rounded body, short neck, flared rim and hexagonal spout on a gently everted foot and recessed base, covered overall in a rich and lustrous green and white splashed glaze extending on the interior of the rim with a clear glaze in the well, falling short of the foot and base revealing the buff-coloured body, the shoulder with a ribbed and raised band, the rim with a further ridge.

–Chinese ceramic box and cover, he, with gently domed top encircled by two incised rings with flat sides each with a brown glazed dot to indicate correct alignment, covered in an even pale cream glaze falling short of the smooth flat white base revealing the body, the interior also covered in a pale cream glaze.

Chinese ceramic sancai, three-colour glazed small dish, pan, with carved design of two ripe pomegranates issuing from a single branch amongst leaves, the fruit painted in yellow with brown speckles predominantly on a white ground within a yellow border incised with two rings and a wide green band in the cavetto covering the rim, the flat base and short foot rim unglazed revealing the buff-coloured body beneath a wide band of white slip.

Chinese ceramic green and amber glazed ingot-form pillow, zhen, moulded on the four sides with a quatrefoil reserve depicting four fish on an aquatic leaf ground, all reserved on an interlaced floral diaper ground within incised borders, the plain flat ends incised with a stylised flowerhead and a green glazed cross on an amber ground, one end pierced for the firing, the other with three original spur marks.

Chinese ceramic moulded sancai, three-colour glazed pillow, zhen, of rectangular form with concave headrest and flat sides, the top striped in green, amber and cream glaze with an incised double border, the wide ends with high relief camellia flowers on a continuous scrolling branch with leaves, the sides with flowerheads within a lozenge-shaped panel, all covered in a rich amber glaze, the smaller sides with spur marks, one with a small air hole from the firing, the base flat.

Chinese ceramic incised pillow, zhen, of ruyi-head form painted in brown on a cream glazed ground with camelia blooms on a scrolling branch with stylised leaves, all on a seed ground within a double-lined ruyi-head border, the sides with stylised floral scrolls, the gently concave base unglazed, pierced air hole in the back from the firing.

Large Chinese ceramic white and brown glazed inscribed pillow, zhen, of octagonal section, the gently concave top incised with a nineteen-character poetic verse flanked by incised foliage, the lip gently overhanging the flattened sides, covered in a rich cream glaze, the base predominantly unglazed with natural drip marks, the side pierced with an air hole from the firing.

Chinese ceramic slip-decorated, painted and incised pillow, zhen, of lion form, crouching with head slightly raised, mouth slightly open and bulging eyebrows, its back with a branch of peach flowers and leaves within an incised scroll border, the lion’s body densely decorated with hairwork, the haunches and tail moulded in relief, the back with an air hole from the firing.

Chinese ceramic green glazed monochrome pillow, zhen, of ruyi-head form, incised on the gently concave top with outlines following the form, with further incised lines beneath the sloping shoulder, the fluted body covered overall in a rich and even deep apple green glaze, the flat predominantly unglazed base revealing the buff-coloured body, with an air hole from the firing beneath the ruyi-head point.

Chinese ceramic Ding ware ingot-form pillow, zhen, moulded on the exterior, the gently sloping concave top incised and glazed in white with flowers forming a cash motif on a clear-glazed tan ground, each larger side with a relief recumbent stag between branches of buds, one side within a jewelled border, the other within a cross-hatched border, the smaller sides with stylised flowers, buds and leaves, the unglazed flat biscuit base pierced with an air hole revealing the high-fired body.

Chinese ceramic Ding ware cream glazed dish, pan, with flat base, short inverted foot and gently rounded sides, carved with a single lotus flower spray on a branch with leaves fitting neatly in the well with an incised outline, the flower and leaves with double and single outlines creating a three-dimensional effect, covered overall in a pale cream glaze gently pooling above the foot and creating a tear mark, the rim bound in copper.

Chinese ceramic Ding ware white glazed dish, pan, with gently flared unglazed rim, carved with a lotus flower spray and leaves in double and single outlines creating a three-dimensional effect, covered overall in a cream white glaze extending to the short foot rim and partially covering the base.

Chinese ceramic Yaozhou celadon glazed bowl, wan, of conical flower form, moulded with six lobes and gentle foliate rim, the interior with a pair of ducks swimming between lotus leaves on a wave ground, beneath a border of continuous lotus tendrils, covered overall in a rich olive-green glaze thinning towards the short unglazed biscuit foot rim burnt brown in the firing.

Chinese ceramic Yaozhou celadon glazed bowl, wan, of conical form moulded with two long neck geese between a central lotus bouquet with flowerhead branches, leaves, arrowhead, bud and pod on a dense comb-technique wave ground, the reverse incised with a single band and covered overall in an even olive-celadon glaze thinning towards the unglazed burnt brown foot rim, the base glazed brown in the firing, the foot rim with finger-nail marks.

Chinese ceramic Jun ware lavender glazed deep dish, pan, with shallow rounded sides, flat everted rim and gently raised lip, covered overall in a bright and unctuous glaze thinning in the cavetto and the lip, covering the base with a slightly recessed centre and falling short of the burnt brown knife-cut foot rim, the base with spur marks from the firing.

Chinese ceramic Jun ware lotus-bud form waterpot, jixin’guan, covered overall with a rich and even lustrous lavender sky-blue glaze, extending overall to the interior and the base thinning towards the light brown rim, all on a slightly splayed short unglazed brown knife-cut foot rim.

Chinese qingbai glazed box and cover, he, of melon form, fluted in twelve segments with naturalistic fold-over stalk, covered overall and on the interiors in a pale sky-blue glaze pooling in the folds, the base and rims unglazed revealing the high-fired white biscuit body, the rims of the cover and base each with an incised line to indicate correct alignment.

Chinese ceramic Longquan celadon glazed chrysanthemum-form wine cup, bei, of fluted form with foliate rim on a tall circular foot, covered overall on the exterior and interior with a pale olive-celadon glaze slightly pooling in the eighteen segments, the unglazed base and foot revealing the high-fired burnt biscuit body.