A RARE LONGQUAN CELADON BARREL-FORM JAR

The barrel-form jar, known as a drum-form water vessel in Japan, is one of the rarest Longquan celadon forms. A Longquan barrel-form jar of larger size (22.3 cm. diam.) with its original cover in Seikado Bunko, dated to the 13th century, is illustrated by H. Gakuji, Sekai Toji Zenshu (Ceramic Art of the World), vol. 12: Song, Tokyo, 1977, pp. 94-5, nos. 85-6. The Seikado Bunko jar and cover is highly prized in Japan and is arguably one of the most iconic masterpieces of Longquan celadon in the world. Another Longquan  barrel-form jar of larger size (20.9 cm. diam.) in the Percival David Foundation, dated to the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), is illustrated by S. Pierson, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997, p. 26, no. 225. The decoration on the present barrel-form jar, as well as the two other aforementioned examples, is executed in a popular method used at the time, that of "sprig" molding, where the decoration was molded separately and then applied to the surface before glazing.