Title
Censer
Year/Period
12th or 13th century
Region
Longquan kilns, Zhejiang province, China
Material
Dimension
Object size: 7.0 x 8.7 x 8.7 cm
Accession No.
2017-00252
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift in honour of Frank and Pamela Hickley
This miniature censer with a pair of fish-shaped handles, is covered with an olive-green glaze. It is a product of the Longquan kilns, which rose to prominence during the Song and Yuan dynasties as one of the prime manufacturing centres of greenwares. The varying amounts of iron oxide in the raw materials and fluctuations in firing conditions resulted in glazes that ranged from a cool bluish-green to warmer olive-green tones. The finest Longquan vessels possessed a smooth and lustrous glaze that resembled jade. Longquan wares appealed to both local and overseas clients. Many were exported to foreign markets that included Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
