Vase

About this object

History of use

It is probable that the first true porcelain originated from kilns in Kiangsi, since they were already producing an extremely refined porcelain by the beginning of the 11th century. The glaze on much of this had a blue to green tone caused both by traces of iron oxide in the clear glaze, and to firing conditions in the kiln. The output was intended for local markets in south China, although some found its way to the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and even further west.

Physical description

Inverted pear-shaped ceramic vase is surmounted by a tall ridged cylindrical neck terminating in a broadly flared five-lobed mouth. The heavy grey-white body is iron speckled. There is a broadly flared unglazed foot ring and an unglazed base. The thin glossy pale blue-green glaze falls unevenly short of and in some places over the foot. There is the patterned under glaze with swirling groups of evenly spaced parallel lines, known as "combing". The glaze pools over these and also over irregularities in the body, including a gouge in the neck. Paper label reads "2 lj 4".