Japanese and Chinese chawan tea bowls

 

Jizhou kiln is located in Ji'an, Jiangxi province. Exemplifying the Song dynasty porcelain wares, this bowl integrates multiple decoration techniques--the papercut floral design in the well, rabbit-hair-streak glaze in interior wall, and tortoise-shell glaze in exterior wall. However, the most notable decoration is the plum blossom in the center of the bowl well.  The glaze resembles tortoise shell. To make a tortoise-shell glazed vessel, craftsmen firstly applied a layer of glaze rich in ferric oxide all over the vessel and then randomly sprinkled another glaze low in ferric oxide over the previous one. When fired, the two glazes mingled to form unpredicted patterns. Primarily in the shapes of vase, jar, incense burner, and bowl, tortoise-shell glaze vessels are common products of the Jizhou kiln.


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