Stem Cup (Northern whiteware)
Artist
Chinese
, Hebei province
Date9th or early 10th century, Tang dynasty (618–906) or Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)
Mediumporcelain with transparent kaolin-rich glaze
Dimensions7 x 11.3 cm (2 3/4 x 4 7/16 in.)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1954.51
DescriptionPottery, stem-cup. M.F.A. no. 11.1809. Note: see 1954.48 for more information.Label TextNow generally recognized as the world’s earliest porcelain, Xing and Ding whiteware originated in Hebei province, where both pale stoneware and white-firing secondary kaolin clays were readily available. Bright and glossy, the white-fired Xing and Ding wares were appreciated as practical, inexpensive substitutes for precious metals and stones and for their aesthetic appeal. Tang dynasty connoisseurs described the spirit and appearance of the early Xing porcelain wares, as “bright as silver, white as snow,” and as resembling white jade. The strong influence of Xing ware on Ding ware during the Tang dynasty makes it very difficult to differentiate between early examples of these two whitewares. Their raw materials and simple shapes were similar. Furthermore, they were both fired using wood at high temperatures (as high as 1350ºC) and in a reducing atmosphere. The low-shrinking, kaolin-rich clays of the bodies caused the surfaces to be finely crazed. Crazing—the result of the glaze shrinking more than the body during cooling—was slightly less prominent on Ding ware since its thin glaze was richer in the low-contracting silicon, aluminum, and magnesium oxides. Popular with the imperial court as well as with the general population, Xing and Ding whitewares were traded throughout Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa, an export that continued until the end of the 11th century. This finely potted and minutely crazed stem cup, created either at a Xing or early Ding ware kiln, was valued as a rare treasure. The nicks on its rim and foot were repaired with gold lacquer, the traditional way of restoring highly prized ceramics in Japan.ProvenanceMuseum Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
On View
On view
Chinese
11th or 12th century, Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127)
Chinese
12th century, Northern Song (960–1127) or Jin Dynasty (1115–1234)
Chinese
Late Northern Song Dynasty (1042–1127)
Chinese
Late Northern Song Dynasty (1042–1127)
Chinese
first half of the 8th century, Tang dynasty (618–906)
Chinese
Late Yuan dynsaty (1279–1368)
Chinese
8th or 9th century, Tang dynasty (618–906)
Chinese
12th or early 13th century, Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
South China
Qianlong period (1736–1795) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Chinese
Qianlong period (1736–1795) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Chinese
Jiaqing period (1796–1820) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911)