Eastern Jin Yue Kiln Celadon Bird-shaped Jar, Jin Dynasty (3rd-4th Century)

拍品描述

Dimensions：Overall Height 21.5 cm (8.5 in), Maximum Belly Width 12 cm (4.7 in), Yue ware celadon from 3rd to 4th Century Jin DynastyCondition & Provenance：The jar is fully intact with no cracks, chips, glaze repairs or retouches. The whole glaze surface is covered with naturally fine crackle lines, and evenly distributed burial speckles formed over centuries. Sculpted bird head, molded wing decoration and side lugs remain complete without missing sections. The exposed base clay carries thick natural aged burial patina, free of artificial aging or sanding modifications. Categorized as pre-Song ancient celadon, this artifact first circulated in Hong Kong antique market before entering the private collection of a veteran ancient Chinese ceramic collector based in Richmond, Virginia, USA. It comes with antique shop purchase records from Hong Kong and official authentication papers issued by overseas professional ancient ceramic institutes, with no modern restoration, secondary glazing or reshaping alterations.Description：This sculptural celadon bird jar is a representative biomorphic ritual vessel fired at Yue kilns during the Jin Dynasty, a landmark ceramic type from southern China’s earliest mature celadon workshops widely valued by American antique ceramic collectors. The whole piece is crafted in the form of a sacred mythical bird. A vivid bird head sits atop the upper section, featuring protruding round eyes and a crisp pointed beak. The short narrow neck connects to a full rounded belly that gently tapers toward a flat unglazed base, forming a soft, balanced silhouette with seamlessly integrated biomorphic design. A raised molded wing is applied to one side of the jar, with fine incised lines detailing feather textures and an antique spiral curl at the wing tip. A small flat lug is symmetrically placed on the opposite side for cord threading, blending ornamental design with practical functionality. The entire body is coated with a smooth yellowish-celadon glaze of moderate thickness, naturally covered in fine ice crackle lines from long-term burial. Tiny uneven burial pits speckle the glaze, authentic geological aging marks formed underground over hundreds of years. The flat base is unglazed with coarse gray-white clay, covered in broad reddish-brown burial patina across the base center, presenting genuine natural clay aging features. Bird-shaped ceramic jars were used as burial vessels during the Jin period, symbolizing sacred birds guiding souls to heaven and bringing peace and fortune. Fully intact biomorphic Yue kiln jars are extremely rare in today’s antique market; most museum specimens suffer sculptural damage or body cracks. This undamaged complete bird jar ranks as a top-tier ancient celadon treasure, ideal for permanent special exhibitions at American Asian art museums, long-term storage in private ancient ceramic collections, and vintage oriental interior display.

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