Ewer with three-lobed spout

The suffused glaze seen here, described as huaci ("diverse glazed ceramic") in Tang texts, originated in Lushan (Henan) and is considered the predecessor of the later jun glaze of the Song dynasty. The ewer's three-lobed spout is connected by a roundel to a curving two-bar handle. The vessel's full body sits on a short foot and is surmounted with a long neck. This shape, adapted from West Asian metalwork, reflects the vogue in Tang ceramics of artists and patrons who sought inspiration from international sources to lend vivacity to their art. Suffused-glaze wares, only a small part of the ceramic production in Henan, is nevertheless one of the site's essential glories (KG 1957.4: pl. 6; Li 1989: 114).