small beige colored vase with bulbous body, narrow neck, flared mouth; dark designs of fish and organic vine motif separated by horizontal bands; tendril design and geometric design up to neck

Vase with fish, 14th-16th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Glazed ceramicexpand_more

Gift of Mona W. Brownexpand_more  2019.53

In 1933, archaeologists discovered some 200 kilns at Kalong, yielding evidence of the production of high-fired ceramic wares for domestic consumption during the height of the Lan Na Kingdom (1300s–1500s). Kalong potters made use of a clay containing a high percentage of kaolin to create elegant ceramics characterized by a chalky, buff body and a faint glaze the color of a gray rain cloud. Within the broader tradition of Thai ceramics, Kalong wares are noteworthy for their painterly underglaze designs, with loose brushstrokes evocatively conjuring the natural world. Here, the bulbous body of the vase features a fish darting in a sea of water plants, and the dish presents an abstract motif the Thai call “black crow.”

Details
Title
Vase with fish
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2019.53
Curator Approved

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small beige colored vase with bulbous body, narrow neck, flared mouth; dark designs of fish and organic vine motif separated by horizontal bands; tendril design and geometric design up to neck