Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The Barlow Collection

A select catalogue of the Barlow collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades by the University of Sussex (published Sussex, 2006).

The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

Publications online: 456 objects

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Figure of a cockerel

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    Figures such as this were originally naturalistically painted in coloured pigments; compare a figure of a cock from the mausoleum of the Jingdi Emperor (r. 188–141 BC) of the Han dynasty near Xi’an in Shaanxi province, which was completed in the year 126 BC; see Han Yangling Bowuyuan/Han Yangling Museum, Beijing, 2006, pls 35 and 132. The present figure is unusual in having a rockwork base.

    The bird is naturalistically modelled, depicted standing on a creviced rockwork base, moulded in two vertical halves and hollow inside. It has a pointed beak and circular eyes, the wattle and crest are seperately attached, the feathers at the wings and tail are indicated by moulding, and at the back by incising. The grey pottery body shows remains of a white coating and red pigments. The rockwork pedestal has a recessed base pierced with a hole, and another hole is pierced into the back of the bird.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia China (north) (place of creation)
    Date
    1st - 2nd century AD (AD 1 - 200)
    Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220)
    Material and technique
    earthenware, moulded and luted together, pierced, painted white, and with traces of red pigment; rockwork base, pierced
    Dimensions
    24.7 x 19 x 11 cm (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.424
  • Further reading

    University of Sussex, and Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Barlow Collection, supervised by Regina Krahl, Maurice Howard, and Aiden Leeves (Sussex: University of Sussex, 2006), no. S29

Glossary (2)

earthenware, luted

  • earthenware

    Ceramic material made of clay which is fired to a temperature of c.1000-1200⁰c. The resulting ceramic is non-vitreous and varies in colour from dark red to yellow.

  • luted

    The fusion of parts of ceramics using dilute clay slip.

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • The Barlow Collection by the University of Sussex

    The Barlow Collection

    Figures such as this were originally naturalistically painted in coloured pigments; compare a figure of a cock from the mausoleum of the Jingdi Emperor (r. 188–141 BC) of the Han dynasty near Xi’an in Shaanxi province, which was completed in the year 126 BC; see Han Yangling Bowuyuan/Han Yangling Museum, Beijing, 2006, pls 35 and 132. The present figure is unusual in having a rockwork base.

    The bird is naturalistically modelled, depicted standing on a creviced rockwork base, moulded in two vertical halves and hollow inside. It has a pointed beak and circular eyes, the wattle and crest are seperately attached, the feathers at the wings and tail are indicated by moulding, and at the back by incising. The grey pottery body shows remains of a white coating and red pigments. The rockwork pedestal has a recessed base pierced with a hole, and another hole is pierced into the back of the bird.
Notice

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