Vase with Peonies and Five Spouts
Unknown Artist
900s–1000s
Medium
green-glazed porcelaneous stoneware with incised decoration, Yue ware
Dimensions
h. 26.4 cm · diam. 16.2 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
Accession Number
1989.270
About this artwork
"In full autumn wind and dew the kilns of Yue open; And a thousand peaks are despoiled of their halcyon green" (translated by S. W. Bushell). These 9th-century poetic lines glorify the highly prized green-glazed Yue wares of the Tang period. This later example has a pale green glaze that is glassy and consistent, which indicates a precise control of the glaze components as well the kiln atmosphere by reducing the amount of oxygen at some stage during the firing.