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Lot Essay
When this ewer was exhibited in 1987 it was dated to the late 9th or early 10th century, late Tang-Five Dynasties period. This dating was, in part, based upon the discovery of a very similar ewer amongst a group of celadon wares unearthed during excavations in Songjiangxian, near Shanghai. See Wenwu, 1962:3, p. 57, fig. 1. As Mino and Tsiang, the authors of the exhibition catalogue, Ice and Green Clouds: Traditions of Chinese Celadon, pointed out, these wares were only 'believed' to date from the Tang period, since the tomb from which they came was not preserved, see pp. 126-7, no. 46. Fragments of similar ewers were also found at a large kiln site at Xishan, near Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, which was in use in the Tang and Five Dynasties period and illustrated in Wenwu, 1965:11, p. 32, figs. 5:10-12. In the decade since the Indianapolis exhibition catalogue was published further information has come to light which suggests that ewers of this type should be dated slightly later, to the Five Dynasties-Northern Song period.
Excavations of Chinese greenwares at Dazaifu, Kyushu, Japan, have yielded a ewer of this type from Phase B of the site, which is dated late 10th-mid 11th century and illustrated by N. Yamamoto, 'Shifts in the use of Zhejiang green glazed wares at Dazaifu between the late 8th and 14th centuries', New Light on Chinese Yue and Longquan Wares, Ho Chuimei (ed.), University of Hong Kong, 1994, p. 181, fig. 6, no. 19. Qingbai-glazed ewers of this form have been excavated at the Jingdezhen kiln site from strata dated to the period early-mid Northern Song. See Fung Ping Shan Museum, Ceramic Finds from Jingdezhen Kilns, Hong Kong, 1992, p. 107. Much of the early material from the Jingdezhen kilns copied Yue wares, and the discovery of this shape in white ware suggests a contemporary or slightly earlier green-glazed prototype.
The predecessors of the Falk ewer are plain and date to the late Tang to Five Dynasties period. They share the basic form, but have shorter necks, are barely lobed, without ribs, have a more tapering foot and have simple loop lugs on their shoulders. An example in the Palace Museum collection, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji - Gongyi meishu bian 2, Taoci (zhong), Shanghai, 1988, no. 110. The Falk ewer is, however, more closely related to lobed, double-ribbed, long-necked, covered jars, like that in the Shanghai Museum, with four floral, molded, lugs on the shoulder, dated to the Northern Song dynasty and illustrated in Zhongguo Taoci Quanji, 4, Yueyao, Shanghai/Tokyo, 1981, no. 203. The fragments of these ribbed ewers or jars were excavated among the Northern Song shards from the Jincun kiln, Longquan, Zhejiang province. See Fung Ping Shan Musuem Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Green Wares from Zhejiang, University of Hong Kong, 1993, no. 85. Ewers, dated to the 10th-11th century, similar to the Falk ewer, but with more squat profile, more pronounced shoulders and larger flanges have been found in the Philippines, as published by W.P. Ronquillo and R.C. Tan in 'Yue and Yue-type wares and other archaeological finds in Butuan, Philippines', New Light on Chinese Yue and Longquan Wares, op.cit., p. 263, pl. 2, fig. A. There is also a close relationship between the Falk lobed, ribbed ewer and slightly squatter, unlobed ewers, such as one in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, illustrated in Green Wares from Zhejiang, 1993, no. 43, p. 70, and another, illustrated by M. Tregear, Catalogue of Chinese Greenware in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1976, pl. 182. The Zhejiang Museum and Ashmolean ewers have wider shoulders and more tapered body, but share similar neck, spout and handle forms with the Falk ewer. They also share the floral, molded, vertical flanges on the shoulders. The Zhejiang vessel is described by the Zhejiang Provincial Museum as being typical of Yue wares dating to the Five Dynasties and Early Song.
Ewers of the Falk group are also related in style and potting characteristics to lobed, double-ribbed ewers and vases dated to the Northern Song period, which have more slender necks and dished mouths. The Longquan Museum collection contains examples of such ewers and vases, see Zhu Boqian (ed.), Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 79, no. 38 and p. 85, no. 44. Although vessels identical to the Falk ewer are extremely rare, by comparison with related vessels it is possible to posit a 10th-early 11th century, Five Dynasties or Northern Song date for their manufacture.
A ewer of this type excavated in Otsu Shiga Prefecture, Japan and now housed in the Omi Shrine is illustrated in Chugoku no Toji (Chinese Ceramics), vol. 12, Tokyo, 1995, pl. 18. A further example in Berlin is illustrated by R. Krahl, Yuegutang: A Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Berlin, 2000, p. 256, no. 210. And a third is illustrated in Five Thousand Years of Chinese Art: Porcelain (II), Taipei, 1985, col. pl. 115.
Excavations of Chinese greenwares at Dazaifu, Kyushu, Japan, have yielded a ewer of this type from Phase B of the site, which is dated late 10th-mid 11th century and illustrated by N. Yamamoto, 'Shifts in the use of Zhejiang green glazed wares at Dazaifu between the late 8th and 14th centuries', New Light on Chinese Yue and Longquan Wares, Ho Chuimei (ed.), University of Hong Kong, 1994, p. 181, fig. 6, no. 19. Qingbai-glazed ewers of this form have been excavated at the Jingdezhen kiln site from strata dated to the period early-mid Northern Song. See Fung Ping Shan Museum, Ceramic Finds from Jingdezhen Kilns, Hong Kong, 1992, p. 107. Much of the early material from the Jingdezhen kilns copied Yue wares, and the discovery of this shape in white ware suggests a contemporary or slightly earlier green-glazed prototype.
The predecessors of the Falk ewer are plain and date to the late Tang to Five Dynasties period. They share the basic form, but have shorter necks, are barely lobed, without ribs, have a more tapering foot and have simple loop lugs on their shoulders. An example in the Palace Museum collection, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji - Gongyi meishu bian 2, Taoci (zhong), Shanghai, 1988, no. 110. The Falk ewer is, however, more closely related to lobed, double-ribbed, long-necked, covered jars, like that in the Shanghai Museum, with four floral, molded, lugs on the shoulder, dated to the Northern Song dynasty and illustrated in Zhongguo Taoci Quanji, 4, Yueyao, Shanghai/Tokyo, 1981, no. 203. The fragments of these ribbed ewers or jars were excavated among the Northern Song shards from the Jincun kiln, Longquan, Zhejiang province. See Fung Ping Shan Musuem Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Green Wares from Zhejiang, University of Hong Kong, 1993, no. 85. Ewers, dated to the 10th-11th century, similar to the Falk ewer, but with more squat profile, more pronounced shoulders and larger flanges have been found in the Philippines, as published by W.P. Ronquillo and R.C. Tan in 'Yue and Yue-type wares and other archaeological finds in Butuan, Philippines', New Light on Chinese Yue and Longquan Wares, op.cit., p. 263, pl. 2, fig. A. There is also a close relationship between the Falk lobed, ribbed ewer and slightly squatter, unlobed ewers, such as one in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, illustrated in Green Wares from Zhejiang, 1993, no. 43, p. 70, and another, illustrated by M. Tregear, Catalogue of Chinese Greenware in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1976, pl. 182. The Zhejiang Museum and Ashmolean ewers have wider shoulders and more tapered body, but share similar neck, spout and handle forms with the Falk ewer. They also share the floral, molded, vertical flanges on the shoulders. The Zhejiang vessel is described by the Zhejiang Provincial Museum as being typical of Yue wares dating to the Five Dynasties and Early Song.
Ewers of the Falk group are also related in style and potting characteristics to lobed, double-ribbed ewers and vases dated to the Northern Song period, which have more slender necks and dished mouths. The Longquan Museum collection contains examples of such ewers and vases, see Zhu Boqian (ed.), Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 79, no. 38 and p. 85, no. 44. Although vessels identical to the Falk ewer are extremely rare, by comparison with related vessels it is possible to posit a 10th-early 11th century, Five Dynasties or Northern Song date for their manufacture.
A ewer of this type excavated in Otsu Shiga Prefecture, Japan and now housed in the Omi Shrine is illustrated in Chugoku no Toji (Chinese Ceramics), vol. 12, Tokyo, 1995, pl. 18. A further example in Berlin is illustrated by R. Krahl, Yuegutang: A Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Berlin, 2000, p. 256, no. 210. And a third is illustrated in Five Thousand Years of Chinese Art: Porcelain (II), Taipei, 1985, col. pl. 115.