Page 188 - Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art II

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF JAMES E. BREECE III Marbling, known as jiao tai in Chinese, became a popular decorative
2334 technique on ceramics of the Tang dynasty, and was applied to a number
A SMALL AMBER-GLAZED MARBLED PILLOW of different forms, including pillows, jars, cups, bowls, dishes and censers.
TANG DYNASTY (AD 618-907) The marbled appearance could be achieved either by combining clays
of different colors when making the pillow, or by using two contrasting
The slightly concave top is decorated with a pattern of marbled ovoid slips on the surface of the pillow. In either case the piece was afterwards
insets, with some further areas of marbling on the rounded sides, one covered with a transparent glaze, the most popular of which was amber, as
of which is pierced. The red areas of the marbled ware appear brown seen on the present lot.
through the transparent amber glaze which partially continues on the
fat base exposing the buff ware. Two amber-glazed marbled pillows of this type and of similar size in
6º in. (15.8 cm.) long the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston are illustrated in The Charles B. Hoyt
Collection, vol. I, Boston, 1964, pls. 19 and 120.
$6,000-8,000
唐 攪胎枕
PROVENANCE:

Acquired in Hong Kong, August 1998.

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