Page 287 - Decorative Arts, Part II: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings, Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets

1972-43-60 (C-615)
Vase

Possibly Chinese, late nineteenth/early twentieth century
3
3
Porcelain with brown glaze, 20.7 x 14.6 (8 /i6 x 5 /4)
Harry G. Steele Collection, Gift of Grace C. Steele
TECHNICAL NOTES
This vase has thick walls and is very heavy for its size. The
ceramic body is dull gray and is covered by a streaked brown
glaze. The base is flat and unglazed.

PROVENANCE
(Parish-Watson Gallery, New York) by 1917; sold to Harry G.
Steele [1881-1941], Pasadena; his widow, Grace C. Steele.

HE DECORATION ON THE EXTERIOR consists of a resist
Ttrefoil border around the shoulder and three resist
panels containing a sword and halberd. The glaze color
suggests that the potter was attempting to imitate the
northern Chinese iron oxide glazes of the Song dynasty
(960-1279). The ceramics on which this type of glaze
originally appeared, however, were made of stoneware.
Since this example is made of porcelain, it is clearly later
in date. This type of dark iron oxide glaze was not used
on porcelain in the Song dynasty or later periods.
SL

REFERENCES
1917 Parish-Watson: no. 133, frontispiece.

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