Song Dynasty Jian Kiln Black Glazed Oil Spot White-Rim Tea Bowls, A Pair (12th Century)

拍品描述

Dimensions:Each: height 4 cm (1.57 in); diameter 9 cm (3.54 in); 11th–12th centuryCondition & Provenance:The pair is well preserved and closely matched in form, glaze, and proportions, with no obvious major cracks or losses visible. The black glaze and oil-spot crystallization remain well preserved, with minor age-related wear and natural surface traces along the white-glazed rims. The unglazed foot rings retain firing, trimming, and age-related surface characteristics. Provenance: Private collection, Hong Kong, retained in the collection for more than fifty years.Description:This closely matched pair represents the distinctive tradition of black-glazed tea wares produced by northern kilns in the Shanxi region during the Song–Jin period. Each bowl is compactly potted with a slightly flared rim, shallow rounded sides, and a low circular foot, creating a balanced profile well suited to the tea-drinking culture that flourished during the Song dynasty. The most immediately recognizable feature is the creamy white glaze applied around the mouth of each bowl, producing a crisp white-rimmed effect against the deep black body glaze. The pale rim is relatively even in width and provides a strong graphic contrast that gives the otherwise restrained vessels a remarkably modern visual presence. Both the interior and exterior are covered with a lustrous, nearly black glaze densely suffused with naturally formed silvery-gray crystalline “oil spots.” The spots vary considerably in scale, ranging from minute dots to larger circular and ring-shaped formations. Across the interiors they radiate naturally around the central wells and become densely distributed over the curved walls, while occasional clusters merge into larger silvery formations. Under direct light, these crystalline markings emerge dramatically from the deep black ground, creating the atmospheric, almost metallic surface effect for which oil-spot tea bowls are prized. The exterior walls continue the same decorative treatment, with the dark glaze terminating naturally above the foot and exposing the warm buff-brown clay body below. The foot rings are left unglazed and reveal the relatively coarse, granular character of the northern clay body, together with visible hand-trimming marks associated with traditional potting and finishing techniques. Both bowls are notably consistent in body color, foot construction, glaze application, and overall dimensions, giving the pair a particularly cohesive presence. Black-glazed tea bowls occupied an important place in Song-period tea culture, where their dark surfaces provided a dramatic visual background for the pale froth of whisked tea. Northern kilns developed their own distinctive interpretations of this aesthetic through oil-spot, hare’s-fur, and other kiln-transformation effects. Combining creamy white rims, deep glossy black glaze, silvery oil-spot crystallization, and compact, functional proportions, this pair captures the understated sophistication and spontaneous kiln effects that make northern Chinese black-glazed tea wares so visually compelling. Their survival as a closely matched pair further enhances their appeal as objects of display and as representative examples of Song–Jin tea culture.

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