Pear-shaped body with narrow neck and flaring mouth; flared foot ring; 'oilspot' glaze in shiny black with russet sport and small metallic flecks

Pear-shaped Bottle, 12th century

Unknown artist, expand_more

Used primarily for serving wine during the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, the distinctive form of pear-shaped bottles seem to have originated in eleventh century silver vessels which were imitated in ceramic at the Ding kilns of north China.

The rare "oil-spot" glaze of this bottle was developed earlier at the Jian kilns in Fujian province during the Northern Song (960-1127). The dark brown-black glaze is covered with an "oil-spot" pattern comprised of numerous rust-brown spots each with a silvery metallic fleck in the center. After the first coat of glaze had dried, a solution rich in iron compounds was applied to create the desired silvery brown oil spots upon firing.

Details
Title
Pear-shaped Bottle
Role
Artist
Accession Number
99.69.2
Curator Approved

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.

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Pear-shaped body with narrow neck and flaring mouth; flared foot ring; 'oilspot' glaze in shiny black with russet sport and small metallic flecks