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Attributed Date: Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) Archaeological Analysis:
Significance:
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The Mongols first overthrew the Jin Emperor in
northern China in 1234, and then took over southern China from the
Southern Sung dynasty in 1279. This marked the beginning of the Yuan
dynasty (1279 - 1368). By that time the Mongol Yuan Empire
already extended from Korea to southern Russia and even to Persia.
Because of that, a lot of contacts and trade with different cultures
were made within the territory of China during the era of Yuan
dynasty . In terms of ceramic development, a lot of foreign
cultural influences changed the style of pottery collections
according to the different clienteleís taste. The
inwardly mute style of Sung wares were almost completely lost, the
Yuan dynasty reverted to the same style as the Tang dynasty.
New ideas and innovations were made by Yuan potters to entertain the
vast foreign market. The classification of Yuan wares had
become more sophisticated. Besides the regional identification
of different kilns, the Yuan wares are cataloged into different
standard styles within the kilns. For instance, the most famous
and largest production in Yuan dynasty are Jingdezhen wares from
Jingdezhen kilns. The Jingdezhen wares are divided into five
major standard categories of Qing Bai, shufu, blue-and-white,
red-and-white, and brown-and-white. The other Yuan kilns are:
Longquan Kilns in Zhejiang Province; Jizhou kilns in Yonghezhen;
Fujian kilns in Fujian Province; Yuan-dynasty northern kilns in the
former Jin territory of northern China; and Cizhou kilns in Shanxi
Province.
An important archaeological discovery was made
in 1976 of an early fourteenth-century Chinese merchant shipwreck off
the southwestern coast of Korea, near Sinan. The examination of
the shipwreck in 1982, verified that approximately 16,800
pieces out of a total of almost 18,000 objects found were
pottery. According to the packing slips found attached to the
cargo of other goods, such as coins and herbs, the ship was destined
for Japan in 1323. The relics from the Sinan shipwreck provided
an important historical documentary source for the study of
ceramics.
Significance:
This celadon glazed Jar with two ears is attributed to be a Longquan ware of Yuan dynasty.
Despite of the impact of Mongol rule in Yuan ceramics; Longquan kiln in Zhejiang Province continued to produce the conventional Sung's favourite celadon glaze ceramics. However, unlike the Sung celadon wares, which tend to be more bluish green; the colour of this glazed jar is olive green, which is the most distinctive characteristic of Longquan wares. The pure green glaze is applied to keep the simplicity of Sung style. A blot of reddish brown is deliberately painted on the rim to imitate the flavour of jade. For the elaborate decorations, old techniques of incising and carving under-glazed relief were brought back into ceramic fashion in the Yuan dynasty. The shape of this jar is similar to the contemporary blue and white wares of the Jingdezhen kiln. A remarkable feature of this jar is the adding of two ears, which are too small and the edges are too thin for handles, so these two ears seem to be purely for decorative purposes beyond any actual function.
