Title:Small BowlDate:Northern Sung dynastyMedium:Ch'ing-pai ware
Porcelain with incised and combed décor under a light blue glaze
Dimensions:2 1/2 x 7 in. (6.35 x 17.78 cm)Creation Place:Asia, ChinaCredit Line:The Margaret Borgman Asian FundAccession Number:98.212.1 Location:G204 Some of the earliest Ch'ing-pai ware was simply decorated with freely executed incisions outlining the motif, usually floral, set off with incised comb patterns. Similar use of comb striations can be found in other Sung ceramics including Yao-chou celadon and Tz'u-chou wares. Delicately potted, lightly incised, and subtlety glazed, this small bowl reflects the aesthetic refinement Ch'ing-pai could achieve within what was essentially a mass manufactured utilitarian ware with broad public appeal.