Water Dropper
Chinese
Description
Subject Matter:
A dark glazed Changsha mingqi (明器) (literally "bright objects") bird-shaped earthenware water dropper of the Tang dynasty (618-906).
During the ninth and tenth centuries, Changsha kilns produced a vast number of utilitarian pots and objects for daily use for both the overseas and domestic markets. Made using a variety of hand-building, wheel throwing, and molding techniques, they often took on a variety of forms including animals, people and daily objects. A water dropper such as this would have been a standard accoutrement on a scholar’s desk. It would have been used to slowly drop water on an ink-grinding stone until the ink reached the perfect consistency or dilution for calligraphy and painting.
Physical Description:
A small earthenware vessel in the form of a bird, with a flattened round body, two wings, and an outstretched beaked head and tail. There is a mouth with a direct rim on top of the body, and it is covered in a dark brown glaze.
Usage Rights:
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