White porcelaneous stoneware with white glazeexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2000.83.1
Fine white wares of Sui (586-618) and early Tang (7th century) are arguably the world's earliest porcelains. Hard, white, and translucent, they were produced at the Xing kilns in Hebei province and the Gongxian kilns in Henan. Their white gaolin clay was exceptionally pure and well-refined with feldspar for hardness. The shape of this bottle is one of the most elegant in all Far Eastern ceramics. Beautifully proportioned, simple, and flawlessly executed, it was probably reserved for Buddhist ritual as a container for holy water. Popular domestically, large quantities of Gongxian and Xing wares have been found in the Middle Eastern sites of Siraf in the Persian Gulf and Samarda in Iraq.
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know