Object Description
Ca. AD 960-1279
A vibrant Song Dynasty funerary urn that captures the short-lived, yet fruitful period of Song dynasty artistic production. The body is globular in shape with a raised, short-stem foot that is decorated with applied Buddhist motifs and shell-moulded panels. The lid is decorated in a similar manner. All of the elements are covered in a bright green lead glaze.
The Song Dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty. The dynasty coexisted and often came into conflict with, the Western Xia, Jin, and Liao dynasties. During the Song period, commerce developed to a never-before-seen extent, as trade guilds were organized, paper currency came into increasing use, and several cities with populations of more than 1,000,000 flourished along the principal rivers. Widespread printing of the Confucian Classics and the use of movable type, beginning in the 11th century, brought literature and learning to the people. Art and culture flourished, with a renewal of Buddhist artistic motifs and a high-quality pottery tradition, which, as this example demonstrates, was renowned for the purity and vibrancy of its glazes. The Song period ended following a defeat at the hands of the Yuan Dynasty, established by Mongol leader Khan, which was the first foreign dynasty in Chinese history to rule all of China. For similar see: Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Christies New York, 20 March 2015, lot 789.
Size: L:350mm / W:250mm ; 5.6kg