A "Cizhou" glazed pottery jug, Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127)

Glazed pottery with carved decoration. The shape consists of a rounded vessel on a flaring foot with pronounced shoulders. Above the shoulders, there is an elongated spout and a curved handle attached to the neck, which has a cylindrical profile and is located in the center. The glaze covers the exterior of the form, except for the base, and is smoothly crackled. The decoration is carved with the effect of depth and is divided into bands separated by a double ring. The central band is filled with large flowers with curled leaves beneath a line of petals that emerge from the neck. Such flowers and decoration are common on Cizhou kilns from the Northern Song to the Jin dynasty.

In the making of these wares, layers of slip are applied to the pottery and after drying, the decoration is carved to reveal the lower layer. It requires the craftsmen to be very skillful so as not to damage the underlying layer. The porcelain must be at the correct moisture content, half dry and half wet, and finally, it is covered with a transparent glaze and fired in the kiln. A similar example was excavated from an ancient 11th-century Liao tomb.

Height: 17 cm; Base diameter: 6.90 cm

Provenance: European private collection.

References:

The Cleveland Museum of Art "Spouted Ewer with Handle", Reference number: 1948.219.

Tokyo National Museum, "Water Pitcher with Floral Vines", Reference number: TG-766