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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Greenware incense burner with feet in the form of animal paws

  • loan
  • Literature notes

    Although the shape of this vessel is more characteristic of ceramics from Henan and other kilns in the North of China, the body material and traces of finely crackled green glaze suggest a southern manufacture for this piece. A glaze of this type, which similarly displays a strong tendency to flake off the body, can be seen on vessels from kilns in Guangdong province, for example, the Shuiche kiln in Meixian (see Ceramic Finds from Tang and Song Kilns in Guangdong, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, 1985).

    The vessel is of depressed globular form, with slightly flared neck, resting on three large feet in form of animal legs with paws clearly modelled. The sides of the vessel are structured by deep vertical grooves, which end at the lower part. The underside has a concave circular patch in the centre. The reddish-buff stoneware is now almost completely exposed, with only small traces of the olive-green glaze remaining in some of the recessed areas, but mostly flaked off, leaving only a faint matt layer which shows that the underside had been left unglazed.
  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaChina Guangdong province (place of creation)
    Date
    8th - 9th century AD (AD 701 - 900)
    Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 907)
    Material and technique
    stoneware, thrown, with carved and hand-modelled decoration under a green glaze; unglazed base; glazed rim
    Dimensions
    13 cm (height)
    24 cm (diameter)
    Material index
    Technique index
    formed carved,
    coveredcoated glazed,
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
    Accession no.
    LI1301.345
  • 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. C345

Glossary (2)

glaze, stoneware

  • glaze

    Vitreous coating applied to the surface of a ceramic to make it impermeable or for decorative effect.

  • stoneware

    Ceramic material made of clay which is fired to a temperature of c.1200-1300⁰c and is often buff or grey in colour.

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

    Although the shape of this vessel is more characteristic of ceramics from Henan and other kilns in the North of China, the body material and traces of finely crackled green glaze suggest a southern manufacture for this piece. A glaze of this type, which similarly displays a strong tendency to flake off the body, can be seen on vessels from kilns in Guangdong province, for example, the Shuiche kiln in Meixian (see Ceramic Finds from Tang and Song Kilns in Guangdong, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, 1985).

    The vessel is of depressed globular form, with slightly flared neck, resting on three large feet in form of animal legs with paws clearly modelled. The sides of the vessel are structured by deep vertical grooves, which end at the lower part. The underside has a concave circular patch in the centre. The reddish-buff stoneware is now almost completely exposed, with only small traces of the olive-green glaze remaining in some of the recessed areas, but mostly flaked off, leaving only a faint matt layer which shows that the underside had been left unglazed.
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