Jar

Description

Chinese potters perfected white glazes by the seventh century. Sturdy, white-bodied stonewares with white glaze such as this impressive jar are known as Xing ware (Xingyao); the best of these were made at the Qicun kiln in Shaanxi province, near the Tang capital city of Changan (modern Xi'an), and sent to the royal court as tribute.
The most treasured of the Chinese ceramics were the white wares, like this storage jar, from the kilns in Henan province. While the best of these were given to the imperial court as tribute ware, others found their way abroad, where they inspired local potters to attempt white wares.
Chinese poets of the Tang dynasty celebrate Xing white wares for having the “sheen of silver and the white of snow.” This achievement was possible because of readily available deposits of white clay containing kaolin, the basic ingredient of porcelain ware, near kilns producing this ware in north China. From the Sui dynasty (581-618) onward, Chinese potters in the northern provinces of Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan experimented with this clay in hopes of achieving a pristine white ware that could substitute for silver vessels in luxury and elegance.
The finest Xing wares were sent to the Tang court as tribute.
(Label for UMMA Chinese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)