Lot 96
East Asia, China, Southern Song Dynasty, ca. 13th century CE. A graceful testament to both craft and belief, this tall porcelain funerary jar is cloaked in a luminous pale blue qingbai glaze, a hallmark of Song elegance. Made for burial rites, the vessel would have accompanied the deceased into the afterlife, bearing spiritual symbolism and offerings for the next world. The upper register of the jar is adorned with a lively procession of molded figures and animals, circling beneath the wide mouth like a celestial parade. Robed attendants and mythical creatures, formed in high relief, appear to emerge from the glaze itself. Their forms are softened beneath the translucent blue sheen, as if suspended between material and spirit. The glaze, known as qingbai or "blue-white," pools in recesses to create watery depth and leaves the figures with a ghostly presence - ethereal, otherworldly, serene. Size: 4.6" Diameter x 13" H (11.7 cm x 33 cm)
The contrast between the smooth body and ornate shoulder enhances the sense of ascension, appropriate for a funerary context. Produced in kilns of Jiangxi province, qingbai wares like this were prized for their purity of form and glaze. Their association with burial was both functional and symbolic: they preserved goods and invoked protection, their sheen believed to mirror jade, a sacred material linked to immortality.
Cf. Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, F1906.251 and F1904.321.
Provenance: private Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA collection, 1995 to 2005 or via inheritance; ex-JCT collection, U.S. Navy Commander, assembled 1926 to 1934
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SHIPPING EXCEPTIONS: Due to customs clearance issues, we are unable to ship to Germany, Switzerland and Australia. If you live in Germany, Switzerland or Australia, you will need to provide an alternate shipping destination, or we will not be able to complete your purchase. In addition, please note that we are unable to ship ancient items back to the original country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.)
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: Unless a known customer of Artemis, payment for all gold / precious metal / gem lots must be made via Bank Wire Transfer or Certified Bank Check/Money Order, no exceptions.
#195991
- Condition: Some losses to applied decoration as shown. Some nicks and abrasions to surface commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with good remaining detail and glaze. Slight wobble to base, but vase can still stand independent of support.
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