LAM & CO UK 2022

Earth, and Sky:

Poetry of Sancai

The Tao produced One;

One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things. — by Lao-Tse, The Tao Teh King, Chapter 42

Earth, and Sky: The Poetry of Sancai

Chronology of China

Xia Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty Western Zhou Eastern Zhou Spring and Autumn Period Warring States

Qin Dynasty

Han Dynasty Western Han Xin Eastern Han

Period of Disunion

Three Kingdoms

Jin Dynasty Western Jin Sixteen Kingdoms

Jin

Southern and Northern Dynasties Liu Song Southern Qi Liang Chen Northern Wei Eastern Wei Western Wei Northern Qi Northern Zhou

Dynasty

Dynasty

Dynasties

Dynasty

Dynasty Northern Song Southern Song

Dynasty

Dynasty

Dynasty

Dynasty

220–589

220–265

Earth, and Sky: The Poetry of Sancai

前言

“主啊，是時候了。夏天已經太長。” ——【德】里爾克《秋日》

今秋，新冠疫情的陰霾漸漸消散，終於迎來了明亮的曙光。這是松豐堂第三次參加 倫敦亞洲藝術周的展覧，我們以中國古代的三彩陶瓷為主題，遴選了從北齊到遼代 的三彩俑與器皿呈現給大家。古老的中國人以大地的黃、綠、白三色，配上天空的 藍色，幻化無窮，創造出萬物生機。在這些展品中，我們仿佛聽到了呦呦鹿鳴，看 到了熊熊烈火，猶如置身於遙遠的綠林、蒼天和黃土之中，為倫敦此刻的秋色添上 了濃濃的詩意。人壽百年，而物壽千年，這就是器物的魅力。

唐代的詩人呂溫說：“物有無窮好，藍青又出青。朱研未比德，白受始成形。”這

不僅道出了製陶的技藝，更是為人的智慧。正是青出於藍而勝於藍的工匠精神，製 造出如此燦爛的三彩釉陶，成為盛世華章的文化符號。无数匠人鞠躬尽瘁，其技薪 火相傳，其色千年不衰，令全世界為之傾倒。今天，讓我們跟隨这些精美絕倫的三 彩珍品，在美感和诗意的陪伴中，共襄藝術的盛宴。

Preface

This autumn, rays of light are finally glimmering as dark clouds cast by the Covid pandemic are gradually dissipating. For the third time, LAM & CO UK is participating in the Asian Art in London and we are presenting a fine selection of figurines and vessels datable from the Northern Qi to the Liao dynasty in celebration of ancient Chinese sancai wares. Complementing the earth tones yellow, green and white with the blue of the sky, ancient Chinese potters mimic remarkably the infinite possibilities of the natural world. Look closely at the objects on display and you may even be able to hear deer calling or see fires blazing as if you were standing on the yellow earth under a blue sky in a green forest, adding a poetic touch to London in autumn. What makes works of art so captivating is that they can survive the ravages of millennia while few men live for as long as a hundred years.

In a poem of his, the Tang dynasty poet Lü Wen wrote: “Objects charm in infinite ways. From the fair indigo, the fairer blue is begotten. A ruddy youth has few virtues to speak of. To near perfection, it takes a man white with age.” The lines tell of not only a potter’s craftsmanship but also the wisdom of life. If not for the artisans’ insistence on perfection, sancai wares that enchant with their rich palette would not have been born to symoblise the cultural prevalence of the Tang dynasty. If not for the potters’ determination to perfect their craft generation after generation, the vivid colours might have already faded before they could mesmerize the world. With these exceptionally precious sancai objects, allow us to invite you to a sumptuous feast of beauty and poetry for the eyes.

LAM & CO UK October 2022

“Lord: It is time. The summer was immense.”

– “Autumn Day” by Rainer Maria Rilke (Germany)

中華民族鼎盛時期的藝術光輝。

而且出現了雙色釉陶。至魏晉南北朝時期，這種雙彩施釉工藝進一步演進，品種多 樣，從器型到釉色均起著漢唐之間的承前啟後的作用。西晉滅亡後，衣冠南渡，北 方先進的制瓷技術也傳到南方，瓷器的生產出現南北兩個系統，在各地形成多個生 產基地，即窯口。南方瓷器系統以浙江的制瓷業最為發達，皆為青瓷，造型秀氣， 直接傳承了東漢以來的漢族制瓷工藝和器型。北朝瓷器從北魏孝文帝遷都洛陽開始 大規模燒製，洛京窯是最早的瓷器官窯，集中了北方各民族的陶瓷工匠，包括來自 波斯的玻璃工匠，因此出現了大的創新和技術革命。北魏分裂後，洛京窯制瓷工匠 遷到鄴城，建立了相州窯，後來又出現了邢窯。北朝瓷器造型粗獷雄偉，釉層薄， 玻璃質感強，出現白黃褐釉和綠彩等新品種及異國情調的新樣式。

南北朝時期青白二瓷並軌發展，常見的生活用器、文房用器、冥器的器型多達數十 種，紋飾豐富，不但脫離對青銅器和漆器的追摹，還吸收外來文化、進入模仿金銀 器的新階段。北朝時期的釉彩陶器，其鉛釉器物以其獨特的釉色、光澤和質感，成 為當時彰顯地位財富的一種奢侈品，是高等級官吏和貴族所獨享的器物，具有相當 高的歷史研究價值。南北朝時期多個民族進入中原，胡風漢韻相互交融，同時吸納 中、西亞地區琉璃器與金銀器的元素，日益純熟的陶瓷燒制技術為隋唐盛世的瓷業 打下良好基礎。南北朝時期佛教興盛，各地大量建造寺廟、佛像石窟，僧尼數量大 增，帶有佛教色彩的裝飾隨處可見，如蓮花尊即為代表。

漢至隋的釉陶發展歷史，為唐三彩的誕生打下了基礎。北朝晚期的二彩工藝與唐三 彩工藝已無本質區別。隋朝建立後，迅速統一全國，結束了西晉末年以來近三百年 分裂對峙的局面，為經濟文化的發展繁榮奠定了基礎。隋煬帝遷都洛陽，營建東都 洛陽城、開鑿大運河、經略西域，使洛陽成為瓷器生產和交流中心。隋代東都窯發 生的最大技術革命，是發明了隋三彩，2012年河北內丘邢窯窯群遺址的北齊至隋初

土於窯址、墓葬、寺院等遺跡，研究認為唐三彩是唐代貴族所鍾愛之物，但並非專 用。它不僅受到唐代宮廷官署的青睞，被用於官方場合，同時也是佛門寺院所喜愛 之物。

墓葬出土的唐三彩不但有瓶、罐、盤、碗等生活用品外，還有大量專門用於殉葬的 人物俑、鎮墓獸、馬、駱駝等，且後者在數量和體量上占比非常高。三彩器主要突 出華麗的釉彩，三彩俑突出的是高度藝術化的造型。由於唐三彩俑的寫實性，其妝 容、服飾、人物族屬、惟妙惟肖的表情，反映了唐代社會不同階層、身份的眾生 相，尤其是大量的胡人形象的三彩俑，為唐三彩增添了活潑風趣的異域格調，成為 研究唐代社會習俗、文化風貌、觀念制度等的寶貴資料。

遼三彩是契丹建遼期間燒制的具有獨特的遊牧民族風格、鮮明的地方特色和濃郁時 代特徵的低溫釉陶瓷器。遼三彩的窯址主要集中在遼五京附近，其陶瓷承襲了唐代 傳統，又進一步將唐三彩以明器為主的局面，轉變為以生活實用器為主，釉色多使 用黃、綠、褐三種，器型中常見方碟、海棠盤、雞冠壺等，極富契丹民族特色。總 體來說，遼三彩融合了契丹、中原、西亞等多元文化因素，對金元以及之後各朝的 三彩燒制產生了深遠的影響。

唐三彩自民國時期被發現以後，就以其生動的造型、華美的釉色、濃厚的異域風 格，成為唐代盛世華章的符號，也成為中華傳統文化中的燦爛瑰寶。借助中华文化 強大的輻射力，三彩釉陶在對外貿易中佔有十分重要的地位，成為中華文明傳播的 歷史見證。通過陸上和海上絲綢之路，伴隨著器物的外銷及人員的流動，三彩技術 也廣泛傳播，形成了一個以唐三彩為核心，包括了渤海釉陶、新羅三彩、奈良三彩 的東亞多彩鉛釉陶文化圈，同時又與更為遙遠的波斯地區、兩河流域以及埃及的釉 陶和三彩工藝等有千絲萬縷的聯繫。三彩釉陶展現了中國陶瓷業精湛的工藝水準、 宏大的文化氣勢，以及中外文化技術交流情況和貿易狀況，備受學界關注，擁有長 時間的研究歷史和海量的研究成果。千年歲月的蕩滌，使得三彩釉陶越發明麗，令 全世界為之傾倒。

Sancai Wares: A Brief Introduction

Literally meaning “three-colour”, sancai refers generally to low-fired lead-glazed wares that originated in the Han dynasty to reach their apex in the middle of the Tang dynasty. Encompassing figures and vessels of all sorts, the wares are named after their predominating white, green and yellow glazes that gradate and run into one another, whether by chance or by design, for an ornate visual appeal. They owe their exuberance to the artistic and technological achieve ments of the Chinese civilisation in form, decoration, glazing and firing.

This enviable Chinese tradition of lead-glazed pottery began millennia ago. In the Han dynasty, two-colour wares abounded alongside monochrome green, brown and yellow ones. They further diversified in both form and colour in the Six Dynasties period to herald even more exciting developments in the Tang dynasty. Then came the conquest of the Western Jin, which triggered an exodus of elites and highly skilled potters to the south. As a result, production bases called kilns began to spring up here and there, culminating in the bifurcation of the ceramic tradition into the northern and southern ones. In the south, the Zhejiang province became the foremost producer, inheriting the Han people’s skills and aesthetics since the Eastern Han and specialising in green wares that have been much appreciated for their elegance. In the north, mass production began after Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei had relocated the capital to Luoyang. At Luojing, the earliest known official kiln, potters who were ethnic northerners worked together with Persian glassmakers for innovation and techno logical breakthroughs. Following the split of the Northern Wei, these potters migrated to the city of Ye and set up first the Xiangzhou kiln and then the Xing kiln. As a whole, ceramics produced during these Northern Dynasties are characterised by their unpretentious form, thin glaze and vitreous quality and saw the birth of novel colours like white, yellowish brown and green as well as previously unseen exotic shapes. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, green and white wares continued to develop each at their own pace, providing people with scores of types that suited everyday, stationery or burial purposes. Instead of imitating bronzes and lacquerwares,

potters began to turn to foreign cultures as well as gold and silver wares for lavish decoration ideas. Unique in colour, vitreousness and solidity, lead-glazed potteries of the Northern Dynasties were emblems of wealth and status and were in turn the exclusive privileges of high officials and nobles, making them valuable objects for historical studies. With the arrival of different ethnic groups in the central plains, Chinese culture was impacted by foreign ones such that elements of glazed wares and gold and silver wares from Central and Western Asia were incorporated for enriching the maturing ceramic craft that was to rise to new heights during the Sui and Tang periods. As Buddhism spread and prospered, the growing number of monks and nuns further generated huge demands for religious ornaments for temples and grottoes. An example is the vase decorated with lotus petals dating to the period.

The development of lead-glazed pottery from the Han to the Sui periods paved the way for sancai wares to come onto the stage in the Tang dynasty. In fact, the technology for producing Tang three-colour wares was little different from that for the two-colour ones of the late Northern Dynasties that preceded the Sui period. Soon after the Sui dynasty was founded, China became once again a unified empire, putting an end to three centuries of division and hostilities since the Western Jin and ushering in a newfound stability that was essential for cultural and economic prosperity. Luoyang, the eastern capital that Emperor Yang of Sui favoured with the Grand Canal for exchanges with the Western Regions, prevailed as a ceramic production centre. The most significant and epoch-making technological revolution that took place during the Sui dynasty was the creation of sancai wares. In 2012, the first ever Sui sancai wares were recovered from a hoard of artefacts datable from the Northern Qi to the early Sui. The excavated sites were a cluster of Xing kilns in Neiqiu, Hebei.

During the Tang dynasty, sancai glazing techniques underwent further advancement. Riotously colourful to evoke opulence, the wares were popular because of the extravagant burial practices that were observed at the time to ensure the deceased were provided with the same luxuries in their afterlife. This led to a boom that was to last for almost a

century. Sancai wares of this period typically come in an array of multiple hues of white, yellow, brown, green, blue and black. Among them, the blue colour was particularly precious since cobalt, which is the colouring agent in blue glaze, was extremely hard to come. It was not until the mineral was imported from Persia when trade with the Western Regions was conducted more regularly during the Tang dynasty that the alluring colour found its way onto ceramics, bringing Tang sancai wares to their zenith. The vibrant palette was made possible by unique and unprecedented techniques for imitating especially batik silk. Development has been commonly divided into three phases: inception during the reign of Emperor Gaozong in the early Tang, zenith from the reign of Empress Wu Zetian to that of Emperor Xuanzong before the An Shi Rebellion broke out in the high Tang, and decline in the aftermath of the rebellion in the mid- and late Tang.

In light that low-fired glazed vessels have long been known to be unsuitable for serving food and drinks, it was previously assumed that sancai wares were invariably funerary objects. This belief has been proved to be invalid by recent archaeo logical finds and in-depth researches, however. It is now established that sancai wares were mostly used for funerary, ritual and display purposes but also occasionally as tiles and other architectural accessories in such important architecture as palaces and temples. According to archaeological reports, the most productive kilns that specialised in the finest sancai wares concentrated in the Tang capitals Luoyang and Xi’an and their environs in the respective provinces Henan and Shaanxi. Smaller quantities have also been found in Hebei, Shanxi and Sichuan. The sites concerned were mainly kilns, tombs and temples, suggesting that sancai wares were reserved for Buddhist establishments as much as for resi dences of aristocrats and officials.

Apart from everyday vessels like vases, urns, dishes and bowls, even more numerous sancai funerary objects in the shape of figurines, tomb guardians, horses and camels have been unearthed from tombs. While the vessels strike with their dazzling colours, the figurines have been prized for their aesthetic forms. So naturalistic are their facial features and so

distinctive are their clothing styles that they help shed light on the ethnic make-up of the Tang society. The large number of foreigners among them have certainly added an intriguingly exotic flavour to the artefacts besides providing researchers with valuable materials for investigating the customs, culture and values of the Tang period.

The sancai wares of the Liao, a dynasty founded by the Khitan tribes, display peculiar nomadic and regional attributes. Kilns of the period concentrated in and around the five capitals and largely retained the ceramic legacy of the Tang dynasty. Instead of confining to funerary objects as in the Tang, the bulk of objects fired were utilitarian ones for meeting everyday needs. Mostly yellow, green and brown in colour, the wares are in the main square dishes, lobed dishes and bag-shaped flasks which are strongly Khitan in character. Informed by not only Khitan but also Han and Western Asian cultures all at the same time, sancai wares of the Liao had profound impacts on developments in the Jin, Yuan and other subsequent periods. Robust in shape, gorgeous in colour and exotic in style, Tang sancai wares have become emblematic of the prosperity of the dynasty itself and of China’s fascinating traditional culture ever since their recovery in the Republican period. Because of China’s cultural supremacy, sancai wares were hotly sought after as export commodities at the time, contributing in a way to international economic and cultural exchanges.

As sancai technologies were transmitted through the wares and their artisans along the land and sea routes of the Silk Road, an East Asian culture circle centring round polychrome lead-glazed ware was formed to comprise varieties from the Bohai, Silla and Nara areas. Farther afield, sancai wares are also intricately bound up with their counterparts from Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Manifesting classical China’s advanced ceramic technologies and cultural predominance while indicative of its external trade as well as cultural and technological exchanges, sancai wares have long been enthu siastically studied and frequently written about by the scholarly community. Unravished even though over a millennium has gone past, sancai wares are as lustrous as ever to capture the hearts of many around the world.

Translated by Tina Liem

Production

The technology of making sancai was deeply rooted in the ceramic and metallur gical traditions that preceded the Tang dynasty. China appears to have invented the world’s oldest pottery along the Yangtze River, attested by the case of Yuchanyan Cave dated to circa 15,000–18,000 years ago. The following Neolithic period of China (ca. 10,000–2,000 BCE) witnessed the first peak of ceramic production along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Underpinned by increasing population size and social complexity, as well as domestication of various animals and crops, ancient China became able to channel more social energy to expand local ceramic industries. The long-term experience with clays, minerals and high temperature processes also made China better prepared for the Bronze Age (circa 2,000–221 BCE). Whilst bronze metallurgy was very likely introduced to the Central Plains of China from the Eurasian Steppe, early Chinese dynasties chose to adopt this new technology in their own way. Instead of following techniques found in the Eurasian Steppe and Europe, such as lost-wax casting and alloying using arsenic, people in central China chose to use leaded bronze (copper+tin+lead) and piece-mould casting. Lead helped to reduce the melting point, allowing the alloying liquid to sufficiently fill the clay mould and create exquisite decorations. It was the addition of lead that distinguished China from the rest of the Old World. The use of lead exerted a far-reaching impact on the production of various materials throughout Chinese history, exemplified by the lead barium glass and lead glazed ceramics during the Han dynasty (202 BC –220 CE). It was Tang sancai that inherited all these state-of-the-art technologies from different periods of Chinese history.

Tang sancai was still highly attractive to the Tang elites and outsiders regardless of local cultural differences; and was widely distributed along the ancient Silk Road, from Central Asia to Europe. Perhaps a more famous example is the discovery of the Belitung shipwreck, which carried a large quantity of Tang exports including various types of sancai, and it was supposed to return to Arabia but sank around 830 CE near Belitung Island, Indonesia. The design of Tang sancai also assimilated elements from outside China. Examples can be found in the figurines riding horses and camels, many of whom represent Sogdians, a group of Iranian merchants linking Tang China to other parts of the Silk Road. Some sancai ewers were also imitations of foreign gold and silver objects.

Production of Tang sancai required two stages of firing. The raw material for the body was almost certainly derived from local soil in the Central Plains of China, such as present-day Henan and Shaanxi provinces. The clay body underwent its first firing at temperatures usually up to around 1100℃. The subsequent step was to apply various types of glaze to the surface of the body. Because they contained lead oxide, a much lower firing temperature around 900–950 ℃ was used in this step. Various types of colours, consisting of amber, brown, green, blue, creamy white, straw, were created by the minor amounts of copper (green), iron (amber or brown) and cobalt (blue), normally around 1–5%. So far, several Tang sancai kiln sites have been discovered, including the Gongyi and Huangye kilns in Henan province, the Huangpu and the Liquanfang kilns in Shaanxi province, and the Neiqiu kiln in Hebei province, providing a tremendous amount of archaeological remains for more in-depth research.

References:

“The Tang Sancai Kiln at Huanye,” edited by The Institute of Cultural Relics at Gongyi Henan. Science Press, 2000.

So, Jenny F., Noble Riders from Pines and Deserts: The Artistic Legacy of the Qidan, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2004.

Wood, Nigel, Chinese Glazes: Their Origins, Chemistry, and Recreation, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999.

A sancai-glazed lotus petal jar with cover

Henan province Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550– 577) h: 12.5 cm

北齊三彩蓮瓣罐及蓋

A similar piece are found in Tokiwayama Bunko ( 常盤山文庫 ) and Henan museum ( 河南博物院 )

Provenance

Hong Kong private collection, early 2000s

A green and russet-glazed hand warmer

Henan province Sui/Tang dynasty (6th/7th century) d: 11.5 cm 隋/唐 褐綠釉暖手爐

Of rounded shape, the sides with shaped cut-outs, covered overall with a dark russet glaze with scattered green splashes.

Provenance

The Sze Yuan Tang Collection

Sotheby’s London, 4 November, 2020

pair of sancai-glazed pottery figures of horses

Provenance

Chinese

Marilynn

Frank Caro), New York,

Imperial:

19039,

James and Marilynn Alsdorf

2, Christies New York, 24 September, 2020,

A pair of sancai blue-glazed dishes

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) d: 14 cm

A similar piece is found in The Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection.

Provenance

Susan Chen Collection, 1993

Noriyoshi Horiuchi

A sancai-glazed offering tray

North China Tang dynasty (AD

Provenance

Hong Kong

黃釉相間，施以淺綠底色，黃底白點自然寫意，創作手法非常 特別，藝術性很強。唐代工匠在拉坯賦色時造化天然，先以清 麗的綠釉作為底色，復以潑彩暈化點染其上，抽象隨性的黃底 白點彷如鹿紋，營造出綠野仙境之感，獨具匠心，唯美天成。

日本永青文庫、出光美術館、法國吉美博物館及各地均有精品

與此盤相似，但圖案潑彩白點未如此盤活潑生動。

從出土資料和研究顯示，唐三彩不是大眾消費品，而是一種昂

貴的奢侈品，為皇家、貴族和高級官員青睞，常見於墓葬明

器，唐三彩隨葬之風的興起，是唐代朝廷貴族階層引領的結

果。也多見於佛教遺址，西安、成都的佛寺遺址出土資料說明

僧侶也是唐三彩的消費者。武周時期始建的陝西省臨潼慶山寺

This sancai-glazed offering tray with a central Baoxianghua motif on a light green and amber resist-stippled ground, is exquisitely luminous, delicate, and yet vigorous. The contrasting green and amber glazes of the central portion, juxtaposed with the pale green periphery, are visually compelling and give an air of indefinable luxury. A white-onamber “deerskin pattern” appears somehow abstract yet representational, pulsing with life, art, and creativity. The Tang artisan, through his mastery of execution and tonality, has produced an extraordinary object of beauty and originality.

Pieces of comparable quality in the Eisei Bunko Museum, the Idemitsu Museum of Art, and the Musée Guimet are never theless not the equal of the present piece in its sheer vibrancy of pattern and stippling.

Ongoing research and archaeological evidence indicate that Tang Dynasty tri-color glazed wares, as well as providing burial goods for furnishing elite tombs, were also produced for the aristocracy and members of the imperial court as luxury items. They have also been found at Buddhist sites, and excavations in Xian and Chengdu show that these wares were similarly used by Buddhist monks.

Sancai pottery typical of the heyday of the Tang dynasty have been excavated from the foundations of the pagoda belonging to the Qingshan temple in Lintong, Shaanxi Province. This temple was built during the Wu Zhou period, dedicated to the imperial family, and a grand ceremony to consecrate relics of the Buddha Shakyamuni was held there in the 29th year of the Kaiyuan era (741 AD).

The tray is incised with a central Baoxianghua, a six-lobed floral medallion with interlocking petals in deep green which forms the surround for a central hexagonal green and amber floret. Around this is a resist-glazed area of cream spots on an amber ground which flares into the pale green periphery of the dish, the colour extending beyond the rim to the base which is supported by three loop feet.

The “Baoxianghua” (treasure-like flower) is a traditional decorative device popular during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, representing majesty and beauty. It is an auspicious composite motif derived from the lotus—a Buddhist symbol, combined with features of the peony and the chrysanthemum.

This tripod tray is a work of art of rare beauty that epitomises the sophistication and cultural achievements perched at the apogee of the extraordinary and glorious Tang dynasty.

A sancai-glazed offering tray

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618– 907) d: 24 cm 唐三彩藍釉寶相花承盤

Similar pieces are found in Regina Krahl, “A Collection of Chinese Ceramics in Berlin,” Berlin, 2000, pages 136–137, no. 108; Margaret Medley, “T’ang Pottery and Porcelain,” London, 1981, color plate C; Michael Sullivan, “Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades in the collection of Sir Alan and Lady Barlow,” London, 1963, plate 20b.

Provenance

Hong Kong private collection

A blue and amber splashed pottery tripod

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 16 cm 唐三彩藍釉三足罐

The compressed globular body raised on three lion-paw feet, the upper body with a glaze with repeating geometric pattern in blue and amber, beneath the amber-glazed short neck and everted rim.

A similar piece is found in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, by Regina Krahl, no. 238.

Provenance

Iva and Flores, December 1998

Bonhams Los Angeles, December 2020

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 16.2 cm

The present tripod jar and cover is a particularly fine example, with finely-molded appliques and well-controlled splashed colors in the sancai glaze. Another finely-executed jar, also with a cover, was included in the exhibition Cina a Venezia. Dalla Dinastia Han a Marco Polo in 1986, and is illustrated in the Catalogue, Milan, 1986, p.189, no, 99. Another jar and cover of comparable quality is illustrated by Liu Liang-yu, Early Wares. Prehistoric to Tenth Century, Taipei, 1991, p. 213.

A sancai-glazed pottery tripod jar with very similar molded floral appliques, but of smaller size (13.3 cm. high), from the Dexinshuwu Collection, was included in The Special Exhibition

of Tang Tri-Colour, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, p. 139, and subsequently sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 4 October 2016, lot 3. A sancai-glazed tripod jar and cover with similar appliques was sold at Christie’s New York, 14–15 September 2017, lot 1107; and a sancai-glazed tripod jar and cover without appliques, from the collection of Frederick A. and Sharon L. Klingenstein, was sold as Christie’s New York, 13 September 2019, lot 834.

Provenance

The Property of a Gentleman; Christie’s New York, 22 March, 1999, lot 252 Christie’s New York, 24 September, 2022

Published

The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics I: Neolithic to Liao, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 130

A rare, finely-moulded sancai-glazed pottery globular tripod jar and cover

sancai blue glaze basin

sancai blue and amber-glazed “tortoise” waterpot

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–

Provenance

The Sze Yuan Tang Collection

Sotheby’s London, November 2020 Hong Kong private collection

A sancai and blue-glazed pottery box and cover

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) d: 6.2 cm

唐三彩加藍蓋盒

Of flattened circular form, the cover with seven cream-andamber dapples reserved against a cobalt-blue ground, the sides of the cover and box both splashed with cream and amber glazes, the interior of the box cream-glazed, the interior of the cover and the base of the box unglazed revealing the pinkish clay.

Provenance

Sotheby’s New York, September 2021

A dappled blue-and-amber-glazed box and cover

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) d: 2½ in., 6.4 cm 唐三彩加藍蓋盒

Of circular section, the exterior mottled with attractive blue and amber glaze splashes stopping just above the foot revealing the cream-colored body.

Provenance

Sotheby’s New York, September 2021

A blue-splashed vase

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 7.8 cm

唐白釉藍彩唾壺

The compressed globular body rising to a waisted neck and a upturned dish mouth, covered with a thin layer of white glaze accentuated with irregular blue splashes.

A similar piece is found in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, by Regina Krahl, no. 256.

Provenance

The Sze Yuan Tang Collection

A blue and sancai-glazed pottery equestrian

Shaanxi province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 27.5 cm

Provenance

Schmeider collection, Paris

Eskenazi, “Twenty five years,” London 1985

Eskenazi, Tang ceramic sculpture, New York, March 2001

Sotheby’s New York, March 2022

A pair of sancai-glazed ferghana horses

Xi’an region, Shaanxi province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 40 cm

Molded and modeled pinkish-white earthenware covered in yellow, amber, blue, green, and cream lead-fluxed sancai glazes

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture

Published

Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

This exquisite pair of Tang sancai horses exhibit an extremely rare combination of amber and blue glazes.

Similar in size and physiognomy, they have elegant, sleekly modelled heads turned to one side, and tails docked and tied in standard early 8th century style. Bridles and chest and crupper straps are variously hung with magnificent sets of medallions, bells, and tassels.

Their main difference lies in the treatment of the manes and the saddles:

The amber-glazed horse has a fan-shaped forelock, a hogged mane, and a large amber blanket brushed to simulate fur that completely covers its saddle, whereas the white horse has a mane combed to its left, while a resist-glazed saddle in amber and white with cobalt blue border lies on a saddle cloth patterned in blue, white, amber and green.

These magnificent Fereghan horses reveal the technical mastery and supreme artistry that epitomised ceramic sculpture at the peak of the Tang dynasty.

A sancai-glazed lady holding a bird

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618– 907) h: 40 cm

唐三彩獵裝仕女俑

Molded and modeled whitish earthenware, unglazed head painted with black and red pigments on a pinkish ground, costume covered in straw-yellow and green lead-fluxed sancai glaze.

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture

Published

Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

A sancai blue-glazed court lady

Shaanxi province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 33 cm

Molded white earthenware with white ground, head painted in black and red pigments, costume with lead-fluxed sancai glaze in blue, light-blue, dark-amber, cream, and green colors. A similar piece is found in the Shaanxi Museum.

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture

Published

Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

A sancai blue-glazed seated lady

Luoyang region, Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 30 cm

Molded white earthenware, unglazed head painted with pink, red, and black, torso with cobalt blue, amber, and cream leadfluxed sancai glaze.

A few closely related examples with the same seated pose and hairstyle seen here have been excavated, and others are recorded in public and private collections.

A similar piece is found in The Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection.

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture

Published

Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

rare and beautifully modelled blue and amber-glazed pottery figure of a court lady North China Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) h: 26.7 cm

Provenance

A Danish private collection

Collection of Louis Foght, Copenhagen Bruun Rasmussen, April 1960, lot 892 Sotheby’s Paris, June 2021

A pair of sancai blue-glazed foreign merchants

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) 唐三彩藍釉商人 h. 20 cm

Molded and modeled white earthenware with unglazed heads painted in red, black, and pink, with costumes covered in cobalt blue and amber lead-fluxed sancai glazes.

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture

Published

Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

A pair of sancai blue-glazed earth spirits

Shaanxi province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h. left: 42 cm h. right: 46 cm 唐三彩藍釉鎮墓獸

Molded and modeled red earthenware covered with amber, blue, green, and white sancai lead-fluxed glazes on a white ground; unglazed faces painted with red and black pigments.

The origin of these composite tomb-guardian beasts may go back to the ancient genie/exorcist Fang Xiang, whose purpose was to drive away sickness and evil spirits. The Feng Sudong, a Han work on popular beliefs, states:

There is a vulgar superstition that the spirits of the dead roam abroad therefore the Ch’i-t’ou is made in order to keep them in one place. It is so called from its having an ugly big head. The name for it in another dialect is Ch’u-k’uang “He who abuts on the grave.”

Provenance

The David W. Dewey Collection of Ancient Chinese Tomb Sculpture Published Celestial Horses & Long Sleeve Dancers by Robert D. Jacobson, PhD

A rare sancai-glazed quatrefoil floret moulded design bowl

North China

Tang dynasty (AD 618–907)

d: 11 cm

唐三彩四瓣花印紋鉢

Provenance:

Japanese private collection

KOCHUKYO Tokyo 東京壼中居

此鉢滿釉支釘燒制，釉色分佈光亮鮮艷，杯內綠地白點，清雅

華麗，佈滿四瓣花朵，如春日的花園，万紫千红，爭艷競麗, 是非常罕見的唐三彩佳作。

四瓣花圖案於中國古代始見於庙底沟彩陶，戰漢時期的銅鏡與

漆器也常見；有柿蒂花一説，因其花紋的形狀像柿子分作四瓣

的蒂而得名。也有方花一說，认为它該叫“方花纹”。李零教

授依據戰國銅鏡銘文＂方华蔓长，名此曰昌”，“ 华”与“ 花”同音，因此叫做“方花”。

This bowl with its bright and lustrous contrasting glazes is a rare masterpiece of Tang sancai ware. The interior of white spots on a green ground gives an air of luxury and elegance, while the exterior is covered with a splendid pattern of raised studs and quatrefoil florets reminiscent of a garden in springtime.

The quatrefoil flower motif first appeared in ancient China on the painted Miaodigou pottery, and is often seen decorating the bronze mirrors and lacquerware of the Warring States and Han periods.

One name given to this motif is the “Persimmon Flower”, because the shape of this floral device resembles the fourpetalled calyx of the persimmon.

An alternate designation is the “Square flower”: Professor Li Ling, based on the inscription on a Warring States bronze mirror: “方华蔓长、名此曰昌” ，and because 华 and 花 are homonymous, named it the “方花” or “Square Flower”.

Two small sancai-glazed bowl

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 3.5 cm each

唐三彩鉢

A similar piece is found in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, by Regina Krahl.

A sancai-glazed bowl

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 5.5 cm With Japanese box 唐三彩鉢

A similar piece is found in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, by Regina Krahl.

A sancai-glazed bowl

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 5.4 cm With Japanese box 唐三彩鉢

A similar piece is found in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One, by Regina Krahl.

A blue-glazed globular jar

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618– 907) h: 6 cm

唐三彩藍釉小罐

A similar piece is found in The Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection.

A sancai-glazed dancer flask

Henan province Tang dynasty (AD 618– 907) h: 15.7 cm

Provenance

Hong Kong private collection

A rare sancai-glazed ewer

North China Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) h: 13 cm

唐三彩執壺

The ovoid body rising to a wide flaring neck, set with a short cylindrical spout and a high arched handle, the body with incised hatching, glazed predominantly in green with amber highlights, stopping irregularly around the base exposing the earthenware body.

Provenance

The Sze Yuan Tang Collection

A sancai lobed dish with moulded design

North China Liao dynasty (AD 907–1125) d: 14 cm

遼三彩印花花口盤

The octafoil dish molded and stamped with flower heads on each petal under a ‘combed wave’ band and central open blossom, the design picked our in amber, green and ivory glaze, the base showing the hard, buff body.

Provenance

Bonhams Los Angeles, 26 July, 2020, lot 1042

A green-glazed lobed dish with fish and lotus moulded design

North China Liao dynasty (AD 907–1125) d: 17.5

A large amber-glazed bowl with beribboned flower pattern

North China Liao dynasty (AD 907–1125) h: 30

Provenance

Hong Kong private collection, 1990s

Lam & Co UK

4 Mason’s Yard, London, SW1Y 6BU

Email: gallery@lamcouk.com www.lamcouk.com

Lam & Co Antiquities

2/F 151 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

Email: chrisantiquities@gmail.com

Info: gallery@lamcoantiquities.com www.lamcoantiquities.com