COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
ASIA.1979.141
amicoid
ASIA.1979.141
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
oty
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
crc
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Chinese
crt
Chinese
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Bottle
otn
Bottle
Title
false
View:
Full view
rid
Full view
View
false
Creation Date:
Northern Song period, 12th century
oct
Northern Song period, 12th century
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1100
ocs
1100
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1199
oce
1199
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Stoneware with sgraffito design in slip under glaze (Cizhou ware, probably from Xiuwu or Cizhou)
omd
Stoneware with sgraffito design in slip under glaze (Cizhou ware, probably from Xiuwu or Cizhou)
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Ceramics
clt
Ceramics
Classification Term
false
Creation Place:
North China
ocp
North China
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); D. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
met
H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); D. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
Asia Society
oon
Asia Society
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
New York, New York, USA
oop
New York, New York, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1979.141
ooa
1979.141
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
ooc
Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.asiasociety.org"target="_new">http://www.asiasociety.org</a>
Rights
false
Context:
Ceramics made in China during the Song period (960-1279) are among the most influential and revered in the world: they are noted for their elegant, simple shapes, lush glazes, and lively designs. These ceramics are admired in part because of the complicated and varied technologies used in their manufacture. Song ceramics are categorized into wares that often take the names of their areas of production. Cizhou wares, such as the sturdy bottle seen here, are typically thickly potted, boldly decorated ceramics that were made for popular consumption. The Cizhou kilns were located in Ci Prefecture, Hebei Province, but this type of ware was also made in many kilns throughout Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces.
The most common decoration of Cizhou ware consists of bold black-and-white patterns. These designs were created using many techniques, including carving and painting. The powerful peony flowers and leaves decorating this bottle were produced using the sgrafitto technique, one of the most complicated methods of decoration in ceramic technology. The light gray body of the vessel was first coated with a white slip, which was then covered with a black slip. After the outlines of the design were incised into the black slip, portions of this top slip were shaved away to reveal the white one underneath. Additional lines were then incised into the flowers and leaves to help articulate the design. Finally, the entire body (except for the foot) was coated with a thin, slightly whitish transparent glaze. Most of the vessels made using this technique were created in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Current archaeological evidence suggests that this technique was most popular at the Xiuwu and Cizhou kilns in Henan Province.
The shape of this bottle, which is known as a meiping, is one of the most popular forms in the history of Chinese ceramics and was used for centuries. Although Western scholars have generally described vessels in this shape as vases, they were most likely bottles used for storing and serving wine.
cxd
Ceramics made in China during the Song period (960-1279) are among the most influential and revered in the world: they are noted for their elegant, simple shapes, lush glazes, and lively designs. These ceramics are admired in part because of the complicated and varied technologies used in their manufacture. Song ceramics are categorized into wares that often take the names of their areas of production. Cizhou wares, such as the sturdy bottle seen here, are typically thickly potted, boldly decorated ceramics that were made for popular consumption. The Cizhou kilns were located in Ci Prefecture, Hebei Province, but this type of ware was also made in many kilns throughout Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces.<P>The most common decoration of Cizhou ware consists of bold black-and-white patterns. These designs were created using many techniques, including carving and painting. The powerful peony flowers and leaves decorating this bottle were produced using the sgrafitto technique, one of the most complicated methods of decoration in ceramic technology. The light gray body of the vessel was first coated with a white slip, which was then covered with a black slip. After the outlines of the design were incised into the black slip, portions of this top slip were shaved away to reveal the white one underneath. Additional lines were then incised into the flowers and leaves to help articulate the design. Finally, the entire body (except for the foot) was coated with a thin, slightly whitish transparent glaze. Most of the vessels made using this technique were created in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Current archaeological evidence suggests that this technique was most popular at the Xiuwu and Cizhou kilns in Henan Province.</P><P>The shape of this bottle, which is known as a <I>meiping</I>, is one of the most popular forms in the history of Chinese ceramics and was used for centuries. Although Western scholars have generally described vessels in this shape as vases, they were most likely bottles used for storing and serving wine.</P>
Context
false
Related Document Description:
The Arts of the Sung Dynasty. London: Oriental Ceramic Society, 1960, p. 56, pl. 39.
rdd
<I>The Arts of the Sung Dynasty.</I> London: Oriental Ceramic Society, 1960, p. 56, pl. 39.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Asia Society. Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 65.
rdd
Asia Society. <I>Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection</I>. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 65.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Calza, Gian Carlo. 'Musei: L'Asia in casa.' Antiquariato 34 (January 1983), p. 46.
rdd
Calza, Gian Carlo. 'Musei: L'Asia in casa.' <I>Antiquariato</I> 34 (January 1983), p. 46.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Mowry, Robert D. 'The Sophistication of Song Dynasty Ceramics.' Apollo (November 1983), pp. 398-400.
rdd
Mowry, Robert D. 'The Sophistication of Song Dynasty Ceramics.' <I>Apollo</I> (November 1983), pp. 398-400.
Related Document Description
false
Related Document Description:
Sotheby Parke Bernet. Chinese Ceramics (auction, London, July 8, 1975), lot 108.
rdd
Sotheby Parke Bernet. <I>Chinese Ceramics</I> (auction, London, July 8, 1975), lot 108.
Related Document Description
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
ASIA.1979.141.a.tif
ril
ASIA.1979.141.a.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false