Yaozhou ware bowl with molded decoration

Historical period(s)
Northern Song or Jin dynasty, 12th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Style
Yaozhou ware
Dimensions
H x W: 4.8 x 14.8 cm (1 7/8 x 5 13/16 in)
Geography
China, Shaanxi province, Huangbao, Yaozhou kilns
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1917.512
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
China, green glaze, Jin dynasty (1115 - 1234), Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127), stoneware, Yaozhou ware
Provenance

To 1917
Yamanaka & Company, to 1917 [1]

From 1917 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1917 [2]

From 1920
The Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Pottery List, L. 2542, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source) 1917 - 1965

Label

This bowl bears a molded design identical to that on F1917.281. Molds helped the artisan economize on decoration by replacing hand carving. The damp bowl form was pressed against a reusable mold bearing a carved design. The burnt orange color inside the footrings of both bowls is a hallmark of Yaozhou pots. The lustrous green color required at least two layers of glaze, but inside the footrings only one thin layer was applied, and it turned orange during firing.

Published References
  • Dongqing Fan. Song Dynasty Yaozhou and Jun Wares in the Freer Gallery of Art. vol. 42, no. 3. pp. 24-29.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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