Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Jar

960-1127 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Burial jar of stoneware with brown glaze. It is heavily potted, to the extent that turning rings are visible as ridged projections down the sides. This is a common device which may have been utilised purposefully as decoration. The body is a rather coarse, grey stoneware and the footring broad, uneven and bevelled on the outside edge. The base is uneven and shows a turning whorl of clay. The lower section of the body outside, the foot and base are all unglazed. The rest of the pot, both inside and outside, bears a matt, brownish-black iron glaze with little irridescent speckles. Around the jar, in an anti-clockwise direction, coils a dragon, chasing a flaming pearl. On one side of the jar are three vestigial lugs in vertical sequence, on the other side two lugs, and beneath the dragon one more.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Stoneware with brown glaze
Brief description
Black ware. Burial jar, stoneware with brown glaze; China (probably Guangdong province), Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)
Physical description
Burial jar of stoneware with brown glaze. It is heavily potted, to the extent that turning rings are visible as ridged projections down the sides. This is a common device which may have been utilised purposefully as decoration. The body is a rather coarse, grey stoneware and the footring broad, uneven and bevelled on the outside edge. The base is uneven and shows a turning whorl of clay. The lower section of the body outside, the foot and base are all unglazed. The rest of the pot, both inside and outside, bears a matt, brownish-black iron glaze with little irridescent speckles. Around the jar, in an anti-clockwise direction, coils a dragon, chasing a flaming pearl. On one side of the jar are three vestigial lugs in vertical sequence, on the other side two lugs, and beneath the dragon one more.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16cm
  • Mouth diameter: 6cm
  • Foot diameter: 8.5cm
Style
Credit line
Given by Mr P. H. D. S. Wikramaratna, in memory of his wife Nancy
Object history
One of two similar jars offered to the V&A to choose one as a gift. The other jar was taller, did not have a ridged surface, and had a bluish irridescene in the glaze. The choice was made on the basis of the smaller jar's similarity to excavated examples.

Similar vessels have been excavated from Guangdong province, e.g. from cremation burials in the suburbs of Foshan city see Kaogu, 1965, number 6, plate 7.
Production
Register
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
FE.8-1994

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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