Painted Cizhou Jar (Guan)

Cizhou ware is a wide range of Chinese ceramics produced in northern China between the late Tang dynasty and the early Ming dynasty. Most Cizhou ware have a transparent glaze applied on a white slipped-body, with decorations chosen from a variety of techniques.The current jar ("guan") is a fine example of the painted type of Cizhou ware. It combines geometric decorations all over the body and three panels featuring scenes with a figure, a flower in full blossom, and a bird respectively, all executed in a lively and fluid brushwork. While Cizhou ware have been regarded as "popular" and more utilitarian, this finely painted jar suggests that this type of ceramics was also made for a clientele of refined taste.

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