A russet-painted black-glazed jar, Jin - Yuan dynasty | 金至元 黑釉鐵鏽花紋罐

Please note that the provenance of this lot has been updated; please refer to the official website. 請注意此拍品來源經更正，請瀏覽官網最新資料。

It is uncommon to find black-glazed vessels boldly decorated with large and evenly arranged brown splashes as can be seen on the present piece. Dark wares of similar form were more often found with painted decorations of birds or plants; those featuring purely abstract brushwork such as this are rare. The russet brushstrokes on this jar not only have a strong calligraphic quality that would have appealed to the literati of the time but also have an abstract element that gives this vessel a strikingly contemporary feel. With a smooth and dark surface which reflects light almost like a mirror, this glossy black jar is exceptionally impressive.

Kilns in Northern China, especially those in Henan, Hebei, and Shandong provinces, were particularly active in producing black wares. Since around the 12th century, potters had begun to add painted decoration on dark-glazed vessels, both in the form of representational designs and more abstract markings. Painted with simple spots or strokes that favour elegance over extravagance, these wares possess a minimalistic beauty that aligned very closely with the aesthetics of the time.

Compare a taller, more olive-shape vase with a similar pattern, included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics from the Prehistoric Period through Ch’ien Lung, Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, 1952, cat. no. 207; a jar with slightly irregular markings from the Avery Brundage Collection, now in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (accession no. B70P15), illustrated in He Li, Chinese Ceramics, London, 1996, pl. 311; a baluster vase painted with markings more similar to the present piece sold in our London rooms, 9th June 2004, lot 163; and a wide-mouthed jar with splashes of various sizes sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 11th July 2020, lot 120.