Drip Glaze Vessel

Tracing its roots back into the Han dynasty, this early 20th-century vessel emulates the full-bodied shapes and unusual glazing found in ancient ceramics. Marked with barren spots, a greenish brown glaze clings to the pot’s broad shoulders, dripping to a stop beneath the fullness and leaving the lower half mostly unglazed. This seemingly haphazard glazing technique seen in older ceramics was originally thought to be an unintended consequence of uncontrolled drafts during firing. However, current thinking suggests that early potters deliberately sifted ash over the pots before firing to achieve this form-enhancing application of glaze. Intentional or not, this style profoundly influenced the course of Chinese ceramics resulting in this expressive vessel.