Fragment of the wall of a two-color glazed stoneware jar

Shape: Fragment of the upper portion of the wall of a two-color glazed stoneware jar. The jar wall varied in thickness from 0.6 to 0.8 cm.
Clay: The clay body of the jar was moderately coarse with many dark inclusions and many small air pockets.
Glaze: The glaze colors are a rich chocolate brown on the upper portion of the vessel and a pale seawater-green celadon on the section below the raised horizontal band. This band, in addition to its decorative contribution, acted to separate (not entirely successfully) the two glaze areas. The brown glaze has pooled moderately above the band. More than likely the mouthrim of the jar was covered with the celadon glaze as there is evidence on the inner wall of the shard that a light-colored (but incompletely vitrified) glaze ran down the inside of the jar from above the brown-glazed section. The thin celadon glaze exhibits many pinholes presumably made by gasses escaping from the body of the jar during firing.
Decoration: A raised horizontal band which, in addition to its decorative contribution, acted to separate the two glaze areas. The decorative horizontal ridge is raised approximately 0.1 cm above the surface of the wall.
Marks: None.

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Historical period(s)
Lan Na period, 14th-16th century
Medium
Stoneware with iron and celadon glazes
Style
San Kamphaeng ware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 1.2 x 7.6 x 6.3 cm (1/2 x 3 x 2 1/2 in)
Geography
Thailand, Chiang Mai, San Kamphaeng
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Nelson Spinks
Collection
Freer Study Collection
Accession Number
FSC-P-423
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar (fragment)

Keywords
Lan Na period (1251 - 1774), San Kamphaeng ware, stoneware, Thailand
Provenance

To 1956
Charles Nelson Spinks (1906-1980), collected in San Kamphaeng, Thailand. [1]

From 1956
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Nelson Spinks. [2]

Notes:

[1] See Study Collection catalogue card, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Nelson Spinks 1906-1980

Description

Shape: Fragment of the upper portion of the wall of a two-color glazed stoneware jar. The jar wall varied in thickness from 0.6 to 0.8 cm.
Clay: The clay body of the jar was moderately coarse with many dark inclusions and many small air pockets.
Glaze: The glaze colors are a rich chocolate brown on the upper portion of the vessel and a pale seawater-green celadon on the section below the raised horizontal band. This band, in addition to its decorative contribution, acted to separate (not entirely successfully) the two glaze areas. The brown glaze has pooled moderately above the band. More than likely the mouthrim of the jar was covered with the celadon glaze as there is evidence on the inner wall of the shard that a light-colored (but incompletely vitrified) glaze ran down the inside of the jar from above the brown-glazed section. The thin celadon glaze exhibits many pinholes presumably made by gasses escaping from the body of the jar during firing.
Decoration: A raised horizontal band which, in addition to its decorative contribution, acted to separate the two glaze areas. The decorative horizontal ridge is raised approximately 0.1 cm above the surface of the wall.
Marks: None.

Collection Area(s)
Southeast Asian Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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