A Chinese marbled pottery green-glazed circular box and cover, Tang dynasty, covered in a translucent green glaze that stops neatly around the edge of the base, 9cm diameter. Note: Marbling, or jiao tai ('mixed clay'), was a popular decoration...

A Chinese marbled pottery green-glazed circular box and cover, Tang dynasty, covered in a translucent green glaze that stops neatly around the edge of the base, 9cm diameter. Note: Marbling, or jiao tai ('mixed clay'), was a popular decoration technique on ceramics of the Tang dynasty. Although formerly thought to be derived from the tixi multi-colored lacquer tradition, recent scholarship finds the inspiration to have more likely come from marbled glasswares of the ancient Near East. Such pieces have been found in excavations as far as Afghanistan and Korea. Evidentally Tang potters of the early 8th century adapted this technique to pottery, creating the world's earliest form of marbled ceramics.
品相報告 Condition Report: A small chip to the glaze around the exterior rim of the cover, with some very small nicks to the edges. Surface wear to the glaze throughout, all commensurate with age, with some little nicks in places.