Ding ware dish with incised decoration of ducks

Shallow bowl with wide, flaring rim bound with copper; small foot.
Clay: fine off-white stoneware.
Glaze: transparent, slightly bubbly, some “tear-drops” on outside.
Decoration: two ducks swimming among water plants incised in the paste under the glaze.

Historical period(s)
Northern Song dynasty, 11th-early 12th century
Medium
Porcelain with ivory-toned transparent glaze; metal rim
Style
Ding ware
Dimensions
H x W: 4.8 x 21 cm (1 7/8 x 8 1/4 in)
Geography
China, Hebei province
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1963.16
On View Location
Freer Gallery 15: Setting the Bar: Arts of the Song Dynasty
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
China, Ding ware, duck, Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127), porcelain
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Shallow bowl with wide, flaring rim bound with copper; small foot.
Clay: fine off-white stoneware.
Glaze: transparent, slightly bubbly, some "tear-drops" on outside.
Decoration: two ducks swimming among water plants incised in the paste under the glaze.

Published References
  • Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 58.
  • Mrs. Hin-cheung Lovell. Sung and Yuan Monochrome Lacquers in the Freer Gallery. vol. 9 Washington and Ann Arbor. pl. 11.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Thomas Lawton, Harold P. Stern. The Freer Gallery of Art. 2 vols., Washington and Tokyo, 1971-1972. cat. 92, vol. 1: p. 174.
  • Masterpieces of Chinese and Japanese Art: Freer Gallery of Art handbook. Washington, 1976. p. 68.
  • James Cahill. The Art of Southern Sung China. New York. p. 82, fig. 44.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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