Tang Dynasty Tri-Color Water Pot With Frog & Shell Appliqué On Cobalt Blue Ground,Tang Dynasty (7th–10th Century)

拍品描述

Dimensions: Max Belly Diameter 9.5cm (3.74in), Overall Height 6.5cm (2.56in), Tang Dynasty, 7th to 10th CenturyCondition & Provenance: The vessel is fully intact without penetrating cracks, major losses or restorations. The entire gemstone blue glaze is covered in fine natural craze, showing authentic ancient glaze aging. Raised molded appliqués of toads, seashells and round studs remain fully intact with naturally flowing blended colored glazes. The base features large unglazed white pottery body with dry, ancient natural patina, no post-production touch-up glaze or artificial polishing to fake antiquity. Category: Tang tri-color ancient ceramics, market destination: Hong Kong. This water pot comes from the private collection of Leo Liu, a collector based in Miami, Florida. It was purchased at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Tang Sancai Auction in 2022. Complete auction records, thermoluminescence dating report and official antique ceramic appraisal certification are fully preserved.Description: This cobalt blue ground tri-color water pot with molded toad and shell appliqués is a classic Tang Dynasty literati desk artifact, crafted to hold water for ink grinding and also serve as decorative display ware. It features a flattened, rounded bulbous belly paired with a narrow small mouth, delivering plump, unrefined primitive classical lines. The whole body is covered in rare cobalt-based deep gemstone blue glaze as the primary tone, an uncommon color scheme among Tang tri-color wares. Three-dimensional molded toads, seashells and circular nipple studs decorate the exterior; the toad and shell motifs are covered in naturally blended yellow and green flowing kiln glaze with vivid layered color transitions. The glaze surface is fully covered in fine ice crack craze formed naturally over more than a thousand years of aging, forming original antique patina. The base is unglazed, revealing large areas of raw Tang white pottery body with coarse, dry clay and natural soil infiltration, free of artificial imitation aging marks. Cobalt blue pigment was extremely scarce during the Tang Dynasty, so tri-color wares dominated by blue glaze were produced in very limited quantities. Surviving specimens with complex multi-type molded appliqués are far rarer. This water pot boasts vivid sculpted decoration, well-preserved polychrome glaze, natural authentic craze and textbook aged base clay features. It acts as an essential physical specimen for academic research on Tang low-temperature lead glaze firing techniques, cobalt blue pigment utilization, Tang literati desk aesthetics and symbolic marine shell ornament culture. It carries outstanding archaeological research value, medieval art display aesthetic value and rare collectible value for premium Tang tri-color collectors worldwide.

图片