SONG or JIN DYNASTY 12th or 13th CENTURY Cizhou Pottery

12th or 13th Century

A Song or Jin Dynasty Cizhou Ware Pillow, Northern China, 12th or 13th Century. The Cream Coloured Slip Surface has Been Painted in Long Rapidly Applied Strokes of Iron Oxide to Represent a Flowering Branch. The Sides are Plain with an Air Hole Towards the Bottom, the Base is Unglazed.

SOLD

Condition
Damaged, a large 'L' shaped crack to the top c.180 mm. Both sides worn, one of which has a long shallow chip c.31 x 9 mm. There is also a fracture to the side of the overhanging rim c.35 mm.
Size
Diameter : 22.2 cm (8 3/4 inches)
Provenance
N/A
Stock number
23118
References
For a very similar painted Cizhou pottery pillow see : Cizhou Pillow (Zhang Zi Ying, People s Fine Arts Publishing House, 2000. ISBN 7-102-02155-0) pages 182-183. Another Cizhou pillow of this type, attributed to the Jin dynasty, is illustrated in : A Survey of Chinese Ceramics Vol.3, Liao, Hsi-Hsia, Chin and Yuan Wares (Liu Liang-yu, Aries Gemini Publishing Ltd, 1991.ISBN 957-9259-03-8) page 120.

Photos

Information

Cizhou Ware :
The name Cizhou originated from the ancient area of Cizhou, encompassing a broad arc across China, which was first recorded during the Sui dynasty (581-618). However, the location constantly shifted and though the area of Cizhou is mentioned in the Tang dynasty (618-906) and Five Dynasties (906-960), each referred to an altered location. During the Song, Jin (1125-1234), Yuan (1279-1368), and partly into the Ming dynasties (1368-1644) the kiln areas of Cizhou were primarily concentrated in the northern provinces of Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi. From the `History` section of our website by Mindy M. McDonald.