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Saggar Button

Chinese

Artwork Details

Saggar Button
960-1279
Chinese
coarse refractory clay
13/16 in x 2 1/8 in x 2 in (2 cm x 5.4 cm x 5 cm);13/16 in x 2 1/8 in x 2 in (2 cm x 5.4 cm x 5 cm)
The James Marshall Plumer Memorial Collection
1983/1.339

Description

Subject Matter:

Saggar button from the Jian kilns. This button would sit on the bottom of the saggar below the Jian teabowl, to protect the saggar from running and dripping glaze from the teabowl, or even the extreme case of overfired melting bowls.

As early as the Tang dynasty (618-907) the area of today’s Fujian province was famous for its tea production. Naturally, the kilns in that region specialized in tea wares, both provincial and for the court.  During the Song dynasty a cluster of kilns, known as the Jian kilns, became famous for their sole production of dark iron-rich glazed stoneware teabowls. 

Physical Description:

Disk of coarse refractory, ceramic clay.

Usage Rights:

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