Yaozhou ware bowl with molded decoration

Bowl: flaring conical form; low basal ring. Lustrous gray-green celadon, with thin burnt-orange glaze on base inside footring.

Historical period(s)
Northern Song or Jin dynasty, 12th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Style
Yaozhou ware
Dimensions
H x W: 4.8 x 14.8 cm (1 7/8 x 5 13/16 in)
Geography
China, Shaanxi province, Huangbao, Yaozhou kilns
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1917.512
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
China, green glaze, Jin dynasty (1115 - 1234), Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127), stoneware, Yaozhou ware
Provenance

To 1917
Yamanaka & Company, to 1917 [1]

From 1917 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1917 [2]

From 1920
The Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Pottery List, L. 2542, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source) 1917-1965

Description

Bowl: flaring conical form; low basal ring. Lustrous gray-green celadon, with thin burnt-orange glaze on base inside footring.

Label

This bowl bears a molded design identical to that on F1917.281. Molds helped the artisan economize on decoration by replacing hand carving. The damp bowl form was pressed against a reusable mold bearing a carved design. The burnt orange color inside the footrings of both bowls is a hallmark of Yaozhou pots. The lustrous green color required at least two layers of glaze, but inside the footrings only one thin layer was applied, and it turned orange during firing.

Published References
  • Dongqing Fan. Song Dynasty Yaozhou and Jun Wares in the Freer Gallery of Art. vol. 42, no. 3. pp. 24-29.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects