SONG or YUAN DYNASTY 12th to Early 14th Century. Qingbai Ware
A Pair of Large Song or Yuan Dynasty Qingbai Jars and Covers Made for Offerings in a Tomb. Probably Produced at a Kiln in Fujian, 12th to Early 14th Century. The Tall Jars with Short Bodies and Long Necks Decorated with Appliqués Over Grooves Cut into the Wet Clay. The Sugary Texture of the Body Helps Confirm that the Jars Were Produced in a Kiln in Fujian Province.
SOLD
- Condition
- Good : Vase One ; the cover with sections of the rim restuck, the birds neck restuck, the vase in very good condition with two of the points on the dragon's back chipped, minor crack to the body of the dragon. Vase Two ; the cover with the neck of the bird restuck and the wings with chips, the vase in good condition with minor chips to the points on the dragons back.
- Size
- Height : 59.5 cm (23 1/2 inches)
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 21781
Photos
Information
Qingbai Funerary Jars :
These Mingqi (items made specifically for burial) jars were made as pairs, numerous comparable examples are known in the literature, however they vary enormously in their decoration as well as quality. The hand-thrown jars were applied with mould-made appliqués, these, like the later Fujian appliqués found on Blanc de Chine vary incredibly from object to object as does their layout of the design. Most have a collar of figures standing next to one another, sometimes with a kowtowing prostrate figure among them.
The bird finials represents the Vermilion Bird of the South, the coiled Dragon is the Green Dragon of the East. The collar of figures represent gods, above them are animals including a domesticated dog with a bell around it`s neck.
References / Dating :
For a Qingbai jar of this type at the Victoria and Albert Museum see : Qingbai Ware, Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties (Edited by Stacey Pierson, Percival David Foundation. 2002. ISBN 0-7286-0339-X) page 180 item 97. This vase has been given a date of 11th or 12th century, we changed our dating for this type of vase to be in line with Stacey Pierson`s book, but due to the references below, which included objects that are datable, we have now revised our dating back to what it was before.
For a pair of Qingbai jars of this type from a tomb dated to 1227 and another from a tomb dated 1315 see : Chinese Ceramics from Datatable Tombs and Some Other Dated Material, A Handbook (J.M. Addis, Sotheby Parke Bernet,1978.ISBN 0-85667-039-1) pages 34 and 36.
For other pairs from datable tombs see : Dated Qingbai Wares of the Song and Yuan Dynasties (Ching Leng Foundation,1998) page 71, item 70. The Song Dynasty pair illustrated can be dated to 1209 and come from Nanchang County, and for other pair dated to 1211 see page 74, Item 76. An example of a later type, from the Yuan Dynasty (Dated to 1293) is illustrated on page 81, item 94.
For further Song vases of this type see our `Sold` items stock number 17588, 20832, 20833.