Dish thumbnail 1
Dish thumbnail 2
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Dish

1050-1125 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dish is an example of Ganwa ware. Dishes of this type were made in remote areas of Inner Mongolia during the Liao dynasty (907-1125), using a modified version of the three-colour decorated sancai ceramic technology of the preceding Tang dynasty (618-906).

Wares such as these were made for everyday use and were much more free-spirited in form and surface design than wares made at Imperial kilns for the elite.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Stoneware
Brief description
Dish, incised and moulded stoneware with colour glazes, Ganwa ware, Inner Mongolia, Liao dynasty, late 11th-early 12th century
Physical description
Dish with incised, moulded and colour-glazed design.
Decoration of a lotus and two dragonflies.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 30.2cm
Style
Gallery label
(2009)
Dish with incised lotuses
Northern China, Ganwa kilns, Liao dynasty, 1050-1125, stoneware, with green and brown glaze over slip
The lotus - with its roots in mud, its stem in water and its flower in the air above - represents spiritual rebirth and purity.
Museum no. C.198-1914, given by Mr and Mrs W.W. Simpson through The Art Fund
Credit line
Given by Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Simpson through Art Fund support
Production
Ganwa ware from Inner Mongolia (Kerr 2004: 62)
Subjects depicted
Summary
This dish is an example of Ganwa ware. Dishes of this type were made in remote areas of Inner Mongolia during the Liao dynasty (907-1125), using a modified version of the three-colour decorated sancai ceramic technology of the preceding Tang dynasty (618-906).

Wares such as these were made for everyday use and were much more free-spirited in form and surface design than wares made at Imperial kilns for the elite.
Bibliographic reference
Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 66, no. 62
Collection
Accession number
C.198-1914

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Record createdJuly 1, 2005
Record URL
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