Song Dynasty Cizhou Kiln White Glazed Covered Jar with Brown Splashes and Animal-Shaped Knob (10th-13th Century A.D.)

拍品描述

Dimensions：Overall Height 11cm (4.33 in), 10th-13th Century A.D.Condition & Provenance：The jar and its original matching lid are fully intact, free of cracks, chips or losses. Tiny grey-brown natural specks scatter across the white glaze accumulated over centuries. The brown splash pigments carry steady rich tone with smooth authentic antique patina. The unglazed base foot reveals dry aged clay with distinct wheel-throwing spiral marks, only light soil patina from long-term burial. Provenance: Private collection, Hong Kong, China. Acquired from a well-established antique shop in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong back in 2001, passed down within the same private family without resale ever since.Description：This covered jar is a classic white-glazed brown-splash ware from the Cizhou kilns of Northern Song China, a representative folk ceramic for daily display and storage. The piece consists of two matching parts: the jar body and its original domed lid. The jar features a short contracted neck decorated with two subtle concentric ring lines, a plump spherical belly tapering gently toward the bottom, supported by a shallow foot ring, delivering a balanced, rounded and sturdy silhouette. Its matching domed lid rises gently upward, topped with a tiny curled animal-shaped knob, accented with two irregular brown splash patches that echo the decorative scheme on the jar body. The whole vessel is coated in smooth creamy white glaze with thin even coverage, the pale greyish-white clay body peeks through subtly. Random abstract dark brown pigment splatters adorn the exterior walls, the pigment naturally blurs at edges with rich light-to-dark gradients, a signature casual freehand decorative style exclusive to Cizhou folk wares. The interior is washed with faint white glaze, marked by pale yellow stain traces from ancient daily use. The base foot is left unglazed, showcasing fine spiral trimming marks left by hand wheel throwing, the dense dry clay bears natural aged soil residue. As the largest folk ceramic kiln network in Northern Song China, Cizhou kilns specialized in plain yet lively white glaze brown color decoration, full of authentic civilian charm. Complete Cizhou jars retaining their original animal-knob lids are quite scarce on the market. This specimen features primitive free-flowing brown splash motifs and soft mellow glaze, preserving its original state for over a thousand years. It perfectly reflects the simple, vivid aesthetic of Song folk art, holding great value for folk culture research and ceramic academic study, making it a highly collectible authentic Song Cizhou standard example.

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