tall tea bowl with very thick glaze; unglazed foot; dark brown with light brown at rim; streaking down sides of interior and exterior

Tea Bowl (yan-kou wan), 12th-13th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Highly respected items of the court during the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1101-1125), Jian ware tea bowls from Jiangsu province came in two sizes; this classic example can be considered the larger variety. Appearing bluish black, a deep brown glaze covers the bowl stopping in a thick welt above the foot. Because the molten glaze crawled downward in firing, the lip is left virtually unglazed. In the upper portions, a dense pattern of russet streaks known as "hare's-fur" extend from the lip toward the vessel floor, both inside and outside the deep bowl. Northern Song (960-1127) texts suggest that these distinctly glazed bowls were used to prepare the white whipped tea then in vogue.

Details
Title
Tea Bowl (yan-kou wan)
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2000.209.1
Curator Approved

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tall tea bowl with very thick glaze; unglazed foot; dark brown with light brown at rim; streaking down sides of interior and exterior