Archaic and Imperial China
PAIR OF HU VASES
PAIR OF HU VASES
Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220)
Object :
Nº 697
Medium :
Terracotta
Ceramic
Dimensions :
Height: 38 cm (14.9")
Description :
Beige terracotta vase covered in a thick green glaze. Round and bulbous in shape with narrow shoulders, saucer-shaped mouth and neck that flares upwards. It rests on a pedestal and has two series of thin horizontal lines decorated in relief. Excellent state of preservation. Typical traces of calcification.
The Chinese were a very sagacious people who discovered a wide range of techniques to perfect the art of pottery. With this piece we witness one of their many inventions : the green lead glaze, achieved by mixing feldspar with copper oxide. To obtain this colour the artist would have to use a very well-designed oven with the capacity of reaching a temperature of 800 degrees, something which the West learned how to create much later.