Pear-shaped Bottle, Cizhou ware, Song dynasty, 12th century. Stoneware with "oil-spot" glaze; 12 13/16 x 6 3/4 in. (32.54 x 17.15 cm). Gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton 99.69.2 © 2015 All Rights Reserved. Minneapolis Institute of Art

Used primarily for serving wine during the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, the distinctive form of pear-shaped bottles seem to have originated in eleventh century silver vessels which were imitated in ceramic at the Ding kilns of north China.

The rare "oil-spot" glaze of this bottle was developed earlier at the Jian kilns in Fujian province during the Northern Song (960-1127). The dark brown-black glaze is covered with an "oil-spot" pattern comprised of numerous rust-brown spots each with a silvery metallic fleck in the center. After the first coat of glaze had dried, a solution rich in iron compounds was applied to create the desired silvery brown oil spots upon firing.