Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Bottle

12th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This brilliant sky-blue bottle belongs to a type of ceramics known as Jun ware. Chinese ceramics are often categorized by the geographical area in which they were made, as the kilns of a particular region often made only one or two types of ceramics at a given time in history. Jun ware was produced in the kilns of the Henan province and its height of production was during the Song dynasty (960-1279). It can be identified visually by its coarse stoneware body and its shiny blue glaze. This bottle features an additional characteristic in its copper-red spot on one side, the result of the presence of a copper-rich pigment on the ceramic body beneath the glaze.

Some types of Chinese ceramics were made exclusively for the imperial household. Jun wares, however, were mostly made for popular use and were not widely collected before the late Ming dynasty, when they were first mentioned in scholarly writings. By the Qing dynasty their status had elevated, when the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736-95) was an admirer of them and used them for decorating his domestic spaces.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Stoneware, glazed
Brief description
Vase, stoneware with blue glaze, Jun ware, China, Northern Song-Jin dynasty, 12th century
Physical description
Jun ware bottle, stoneware with blue glaze
Dimensions
  • Height: 29.5cm
Styles
Gallery label
Vase with sky-blue glaze China, Jun kilns Northern Song or Jin dynasty, 1100–1200 Jun wares are one of the Five Great Song Ceramics. Although coarsely potted, they are remarkable for their subtly coloured glazes, which are a great technical feat. Careful control of the cooling process allowed pinhole bubbles to form within the glaze. These refract the light, enhancing the glaze colour. Here the visual impact is heightened by a single splash of purple. Glazed stoneware, splashed with copper Museum no. FE.156-1975 Sir John Addis Gift(September 2009)
Credit line
Given by Sir John Addis
Summary
This brilliant sky-blue bottle belongs to a type of ceramics known as Jun ware. Chinese ceramics are often categorized by the geographical area in which they were made, as the kilns of a particular region often made only one or two types of ceramics at a given time in history. Jun ware was produced in the kilns of the Henan province and its height of production was during the Song dynasty (960-1279). It can be identified visually by its coarse stoneware body and its shiny blue glaze. This bottle features an additional characteristic in its copper-red spot on one side, the result of the presence of a copper-rich pigment on the ceramic body beneath the glaze.

Some types of Chinese ceramics were made exclusively for the imperial household. Jun wares, however, were mostly made for popular use and were not widely collected before the late Ming dynasty, when they were first mentioned in scholarly writings. By the Qing dynasty their status had elevated, when the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736-95) was an admirer of them and used them for decorating his domestic spaces.
Bibliographic references
  • Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 32, no. 21.
  • Liefkes, Reino and Hilary Young (eds.) Masterpieces of World Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publishing, 2008, pp. 40-41.
Collection
Accession number
FE.156-1975

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Record createdJanuary 19, 2005
Record URL
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