White porcelain vase with loops

The Xing kilns were an important producer of Northern white wares located in the NeiQiu and Lincheng regions of modern-day Hepei province. The ceramics manufactured by these kilns are characterized by their fine clay bodies and pure white glaze, which early connoisseurs compared to silver and snow. Looking at the present vase, perhaps you can understand why they chose these metaphors. Carrying flasks were commonly used in the Tang for holding water and were produced in particularly large quantities by the Xing kilns. Their shape resembles that of the water flasks crafted from metal and animal hide carried by the nomadic peoples of the north. The shallow grooves on either side of the flask, flanked above and below with small rings, were used for securing a rope that would have been tied longitudinally around the vessel. The Xing kilns were located rather close to regions inhabited by the northern nomads, and it is possible that vessels of this type were produced for nomadic consumers.