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Lot Essay
The shape of this ewer was a popular one in north China in the late 10th and early 11th centuries, and ewers of similar form were made at a number of northern kilns. The sharp angle where the shoulder of the vessel meets the sides, and the shape of the handle both suggest that this was originally a metalwork form that was adapted for ceramics.
A Song dynasty ewer from the Ding kilns in the collection of the Musée Guimet, Paris, shares a similar form with the current ewer. The Ding ewer, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Song, Tokyo, 1977, no. 133, and dated to the late 10th-early 11th century, has carved decoration and additional applied details on spout and handle, but otherwise has similar proportions to the Falk ewer. A version of this shape has also been found among the early products of the Yaozhou kilns. An example with carved decoration from the Charles B. Hoyt collection, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and dated to the first half of the 11th century is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, op. cit., no. 184. The Boston Yaozhou example, lacks the sharp shoulder junction and has a slightly flaring neck, but the remains of a similar vessel now in the Yaozhou Kiln Museum, Tongchuan city, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Zhongguo Taoci Quanji, 10, Yaozhou Yao, 1985, no. 17, appears to have the sharp shoulder junction. All four of these comparative ewers are somewhat smaller than the Falk amber-glazed ewer.
A green-glazed ewer, dated to the Liao dynasty, 11th century, in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum shares some characteristics with the current amber-glazed example. The Tokyo ewer, which is slightly smaller, is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 13, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Tokyo, 1981, no. 117. It has a similar body and handle shape, and even has the same two incised lines encircling the vessel above and below the shoulder junction that also appear on the Falk ewer. The green-glazed ewer, however, has a shorter spout, a ridged neck and wide, cup-shaped mouth, while its glaze stops well before the foot. The glaze on the amber-glazed Falk ewer continues to the rim of the foot.
A Song dynasty ewer from the Ding kilns in the collection of the Musée Guimet, Paris, shares a similar form with the current ewer. The Ding ewer, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Song, Tokyo, 1977, no. 133, and dated to the late 10th-early 11th century, has carved decoration and additional applied details on spout and handle, but otherwise has similar proportions to the Falk ewer. A version of this shape has also been found among the early products of the Yaozhou kilns. An example with carved decoration from the Charles B. Hoyt collection, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and dated to the first half of the 11th century is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, op. cit., no. 184. The Boston Yaozhou example, lacks the sharp shoulder junction and has a slightly flaring neck, but the remains of a similar vessel now in the Yaozhou Kiln Museum, Tongchuan city, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Zhongguo Taoci Quanji, 10, Yaozhou Yao, 1985, no. 17, appears to have the sharp shoulder junction. All four of these comparative ewers are somewhat smaller than the Falk amber-glazed ewer.
A green-glazed ewer, dated to the Liao dynasty, 11th century, in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum shares some characteristics with the current amber-glazed example. The Tokyo ewer, which is slightly smaller, is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 13, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Tokyo, 1981, no. 117. It has a similar body and handle shape, and even has the same two incised lines encircling the vessel above and below the shoulder junction that also appear on the Falk ewer. The green-glazed ewer, however, has a shorter spout, a ridged neck and wide, cup-shaped mouth, while its glaze stops well before the foot. The glaze on the amber-glazed Falk ewer continues to the rim of the foot.