Chinese Song Pottery Qingbai Vessels, TL'd, Art Loss

East Asia, China, Song Dynasty, ca. 960 to 1279 CE. A lovely collection of 6 stoneware vessels known as Qingbai. Each is formed with a ring foot, an egg-shaped or piriform body, and a tall neck. The necks support a wide, bowl-like mouth with a slightly rolled rim, and some feature a scalloped ridge encircling this area or a carinated edge. One has four petite suspension loops beneath the rim. In addition to the elegant shapes, the vessels are decorated with relief figures that are mold formed or applied. The motifs are similar; robed, abstract humans encircling the body with a soaring dragon above. Qingbai ware (translated as "greenish white") is indicative of the faint, sage-green glaze that covers the pale orange pottery beneath. The distinctive color of the glaze is a result of using pine wood as fuel in the kilns, creating a reduction atmosphere. These vessels were used in southern China during this period to hold grain and other offerings for the deceased. Size of largest: 4.25" W x 15.5" H (10.8 cm x 39.4 cm); smallest: 3.25" W x 11" H (8.3 cm x 27.9 cm)

Two of these vessels have been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, 1980s to 2000s

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#162246
Condition Report: Stable crack to the neck and mouth of one. Losses and chips to the high pointed and applied figures, with softening of mold made details. Chips to bases and rims of all. Chipping and loss of glaze to all. Mineral deposits and earthen encrustations on all, with nice root marks on one. TL hole on the bases of two of these vessels.