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White ware vase with lotus decoration and taotie mask handles
- loan
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Details
- Associated place
- Date
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14th century (1301 - 1400)
Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368)
- Material and technique
- porcelain, individual sections thrown, luted, covered in white slip, and with press-moulded under a bluish-white glaze (qingbai ware)
- Dimensions
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27.1 cm (height)
11.8 cm (diameter)
at foot 8.5 cm (diameter)
- Material index
- Technique index
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formed › moulded › press moulded,
- Object type index
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Lent by the Sir Alan Barlow Collection Trust.
- Accession no.
- LI1301.60.2
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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. C26
Glossary (5)
glaze, luted, porcelain, slip, taotie
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glaze
Vitreous coating applied to the surface of a ceramic to make it impermeable or for decorative effect.
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luted
The fusion of parts of ceramics using dilute clay slip.
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porcelain
Ceramic material composed of kaolin, quartz, and feldspar which is fired to a temperature of c.1350-1400⁰c. The resulting ceramic is vitreous, translucent, and white in colour.
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slip
A semi-fluid clay applied to a ceramic before glazing either to coat the surface or for decorative effect.
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taotie
Stylized monster mask decoration with prominent eyes and scrolling horns. The motif has been known since the 1100s. Its significance remains mysterious.
Location
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- 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
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The Barlow Collection
The two vases are identically made, with pear-shaped body, tall flaring neck and trumpet-shaped foot with ogee-shaped profile. The neck and body show distinct luting lines, and the central area is decorated in moulded relief. The body shows two lotus-scroll bands on a stippled ground, with naturalistically rendered blooms and leaves, enclosed between bands of double petals both above and below. Those above are further applied with two animal-mask ring handles, rendered with protruding eyes, striped eyebrows and pearl-beaded features. The glaze is of clear, light blue tone, the lowest part and the underside of the foot are left in the biscuit, which has fired a light brownish colour and appears to have been covered by a white slip.
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