TANG DYNASTY, FIVE DYNASTIES or SONG DYNASTY 9th or 10th Century Cizhou Ware

Condition

Good, chip to the everted edge c.12 x 3mm. Two chips to the unglazed outer edge of the foot c. 10 x 4 mm and 10 x 3 mm.

Size

Diameter : 16.8 cm (6 1/2 inches) Height : 12.2 cm (4 3/4 inches).

Provenance

N/A

Stock number

22932

References

A similar Cizhou stem-bowl is in the Buffalo Museum of Science, this differs to the present example in two respects, the decoration appears to be formed entirely of images of Buddha and it lacks the barbed ridge. The Buffalo museum example is dated to the Northern Song Dynasty and given a 10th century date in : The Freedom of Clay and Brush Through Seven Centuries in Northern China : Tz`u-chou Type Wares, 960 - 1660 A.D. (Yutaka Mino, Indianapolis Museum of Art,1981) page 28-29 where the author notes that Chinese archeologists have assigned it to the late Tang or Five dynasties period. The same Buffalo example is illustrated in : Tang and Liao Ceramics (William Watson, Thames and Hudson 1984) page 20, plate 9, where it is given a 9th century date. Watson makes the comment "the overt religious connection is rare in pottery, which as a rule, is content with lions and lotus". Another of these stem-bowls from the Edgar Bromberger collection was offered for sale, see : The Frederick M. Mayer Collection of Chinese Art, Christie`s London, June 24 and 25, 1974 lot 17 (also illustrated in Tang and Liao Ceramics by William Watson, Thames and Hudson 1984, page 171 where it is dated to the 9th century) . The appliqués on this piece are of Buddha and lotus pods, this stem-bowl has the type of barbed rim which you can see on the present example.