Lidded jar, glazed stoneware, Yaozhou ware, China, Jin-Yuan dynasty, 13th century. Stoneware. Height: 10 cm with lid, Diameter: 15.8 cm max. Museum no.C.42-1935. © V&A Images

From the Eumorfopoulos collection, purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee [2007]

This jar is an example of Yaozhou ware, a type of ceramic made in the Shaanxi province of China. Yaozhou wares were widely popular from the end of the Tang dynasty (618-906) through to the beginning of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).

The glaze that gives the opaque green hue to this object is known as a celadon. Celadons are feldspathic glazes which derive their colour from the presence of iron oxide when fired in a reduction atmosphere (one with very little oxygen). While Yaozhou wares are more commonly a translucent green, this jar’s lengthy firing period allowed for faint crystals to form in the glaze, giving it a waxy appearance.

Bibliographic References: Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 58, no. 55.Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 58, no. 55.