A Chinese sancai-glazed rhyton shaped as a goose, Tang dynasty,...

A Chinese sancai-glazed rhyton shaped as a goose, Tang dynasty, the vessel is potted as a recumbent goose with its neck arched back over its body clutching a flower-form rim in its beak, with feather-moulded wings, delicately splashed to the exterior with amber, green, and straw glazes, the base and interior unglazed exposing chalky white body, 12.4cm long Provenance: Ben Janssens Oriental Art, London, 2008 Note: Thought to have been inspired by Sassanian metalware prototypes, the exact purpose of these zoomorphic vessels is unclear, though it is suggested that they may have been used as lamps. Cf. For similar examples see; Watson, W. Tang and Liao Ceramics, London 1984, no. 134, p. 154 and Christie's Hong Kong, 6th October 2015 Lot 83 The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no. C207e9, 9th October 2007 is consistent with the dating of this lot.