Marbled Bowl with Lid

Bowl with lid

Artifact made of two identical bowls, one of them with a stand. Artfully marbled in light and dark brown tones.

Object ID
Tang_002

Age
Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)

Material
Ceramics

Color
white / brown tones

Diameter
10.7 cm

Height
7 cm

Condition
very good

Price
on request

Description

The marvelous artifact is made of two identical bowls, one of them with a stand. Each of the bowls is completely marbled in light and dark brown tones. Even the bottom of the bowl has a pattern. On the way of different colors of clay kneading artfully together an extraordinary aesthetic object was created. It actually has three shades: white, a slightly yellow-brown and a dark brown. Decor and form shape an unity. [1]
This kind of color design by marbling is a special feature in the Tang Dynasty. For this purpose white and brown clay masses were kneaded together. Some exotic looking objects were formed from it. [2] Comparable with this are the techniques of the antic mosaic glasses and the Venetian Millefiori glasses. There are clay layers of different colors systematically folded into an approximately cylindrical body. A longitudinal section through this always hits the same color. Slices cut from the same show the desired pattern. [3] Then the objects were covered with a colorless or transparent glaze. [4] (HV)

________________________

[1] Willets, William (1968): Das Buch der chinesischen Kunst. Von der Jungsteinzeit bis heute. Econ Verlag. Düsseldorf/ Wien. 275
[2] Kieser, Annette (2010): Die chinesische Kunst. Philipp Reclam jun. Verlag, Stuttgart. 151
[3] Feddersen, Martin (1955): Chinesisches Kunstgewerbe. Klinkhardt & Biermann. Braunschweig. 38
[4] Beurdeley, Cécile and Michel (1974): Chinesische Keramik. Ein Handbuch. Hirmer Verlag München. 86