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Happy New Year all!
I won this vase at auction and am awaiting its arrival. I can provide better pictures when it gets here. In the meantime, I'm curious if anyone has researched these vases or has any information they can share.
It's a brown/buff earthenware vase with (6) applied lotus leaf decorations, (12) zodiac symbols and (4-5) robed figures. The bottom is flat and the whole vase appears unglazed, though it may have been painted. There are incised decorations around the top. It probably had a lid originally (like most funerary vases) but this one doesn't.
The seller dated it as Song/Yuan, but I've seen other discussions suggesting it might be earlier, possibly Tang or 5 Dynasties. I've also read that it could be from Southwest China, perhaps Kunming or Dali in Yunnan province. The lotus leaves suggest it's related to Buddhism and the 12 zodiac signs suggest it's Chinese.
Anyway, I rarely buy items I know nothing about, but this piece really caught my eye. I'd be very grateful for any information, comments, opinions or idle speculation. Thanks!
Forgot to include the size. It's 7.75" (19.5cm) tall and 7.5" (19cm) wide. It weighs 1kg.
I don't know but this does not strike me as very old , do you have anything to compare it to, in terms of funerary vases?
from the photos , the surface is very regular in its variations (if that makes sense) , the lip/mouth has no signs of wear, ditto for the base which does not look right, and the whole thing does not look very chinese. I suppose it could be from a mountain village in Yunnan, and old: buried in the ground when made and emerged intact and almost as new........but it would help to see similar pieces in museum collections etc.
tam
Thanks, Tam. This type of vase is related to the older (Han dynasty and later) 'spirit vases' 魂瓶. Those also featured applied zodiac symbols, Buddhas/robed figures and lotus decorations. The main difference being those had tall very elaborate lids, whereas this type had simple pointed finials on the lid. The shapes of the vase itself is mostly similar.
The only discussion or reference I've found so far is a very old (2004) thread on Gotheborg. A member there has one just like this one. That's where the Yunnan origin and time period were suggested. (I'll probably post mine there as well, but given the age of that thread and unlikely chance of a reply, I'm trying to cast a wider net by posting here.)
I'm nearly certain this is Chinese though; from the shape, the 12 zodiac animals, lotus leaves and connection to earlier 魂瓶. That said, technically it could be from the Dali Kingdom, as Yunnan was off and on an independent nation back in the Tang-Yuan periods.
Thanks again for your input. Additional thoughts always welcome!
I know nothing about these things, but like Tam, am not convinced by the photos that it is that old.
That could well be my inexperience but maybe someone will explain to me why the base is a different colour is the item is not glazed? If it was painted (the red stuff?) it appears to have also been painted on the bottom and the rim and the wear is equal. Does that mean it has been buried? In which case, will there be that peculiar smell?
Sorry, I seem to be asking lots of questions rather than being helpful! ? I like the little animals.
Julia
Thank you, Julia! I appreciate the questions. 🙂
I think you're right that the red stuff is what's left of the original paint. Either that, or it's red soil. Whatever the case, it does appear on the bottom. That makes sense if it's soil, but would be a bit odd if it's paint.
As to the equal wear all over the piece, I think you're correct that it was likely buried. The people in the Gotheborg thread mentioned these having been excavated. I'll definitely give it the smell test when it arrives.
Here are some enlarged photos. Not great quality, but I think they show the wear and red color a bit better. There are definitely some frits and nicks on some of the exposed edges, both on the lotus leaves and around the foot rim.
And, the little animals are my favorite part! I think all 12 are there.
They are rather gorgeous! Hope someone who knows about these things comes along. Otherwise, you may have to post it on Gotheborg. Or did you anyway?
There was one of these on the Bidamount list last week. It was described thus:
So it must be fairly accurate?
Nic
Nic, ? what a small world... that's this same one! I had no idea it was on the Bidamount list. I guess it makes sense though, as Peter often brings up items from Egmont's auctions. But it's definitely reassuring to know it was listed on Bidamount.
Julia, not yet. I've just been reading through old threads there. The consensus seems to be that these were "cold" painted with a red pigment. That seems to match with what I can see in the pictures, but a closer inspection will definitely help.
Thanks all! More thoughts and opinions always welcome. 🙂
Hi All,
I received the vase and wanted to post some follow-up pictures and impressions:
- First off, it definitely has some age. It has the right "feel" and has a strong earthy smell, even when dry. I haven't tried wetting it yet.
- It was buried. There is some light red dry sandy soil still stuck to parts of it. There's a lot underneath a few edges of the lotus leaves.
- There are many small chips and frits along the foot and exposed edges.
- I was surprised to find that it is thinly potted and was fired at a high temperature; it has a high pitched tone when tapped.
- It was made by coiling, not thrown on a wheel. You can see the coil outlines in the inside picture below.
- The zodiac animals and figures were made separately and pressed on before firing. There are indentations on the inside behind each decoration, where the potter put a finger as support when the decoration was pressed on.
- All twelve zodiac animals are there, in sequence.
- The figures (Buddhas?) seem to be clasping a scroll (or stick?) in front of their chests. I don't recognize it as any of the traditional/typical Buddha hand-gestures.
Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck finding similar pieces in books, auction results or museum websites. I've written an email to the Yunnan Museum (云南省博物馆), but I'm not holding my breath for a response.
All thoughts and opinions welcome. Thanks for looking!
I really like it, Craig. I have no idea as to its authenticity but, if no one else can confirm anything, I am sure if you sent the photos to Christies, along with what you have said in the above post, I am sure they will be able to help.
Personally, I can't help feeling it looks and sounds good but as I said, I really know nothing. Are jars like this usually thinly potted? They must be quite strong to withstand being buried.
Julia
Anthony Allen has three very similar ones in his book about ancient Chinese ceramics. He dates them to Five Dynasties (907-960). My local auction house last year offered one also as Five Dynasties, and I remember having read that quite a lot of these jars were discovered in one spot and came into the antiques market some years ago.
Birgit
Thanks, all.
Julia, I'm not sure how thinly these are usually potted. But it is surprising they could survive burial intact. Maybe it helps that the soil seems to be dry and sandy, rather than rocky or wet.
Shinigami, thank you. I have that book on order.
For anyone else who may be interested, there's another book on this topic called "Offering Vessels of Yunnan". I hope to have that by next week.
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