Chinese Ceramics & Antiques Discussion

Antique Chinese Ceramics => Chinese Ceramics Discussion => Topic started by: Isaac1998 on Nov 24, 2019, 00:30:51

Title: A puzzle! Brush pot?
Post by: Isaac1998 on Nov 24, 2019, 00:30:51
Hi all!

I got this lovely object in Shandong- its age and purpose are a bit of a mystery to me. Is it a brush pot? Or a censer perhaps?

I thought maybe it's Qing or republican... But really just a stab in the dark here. Can anyone shed some suggestions?

I've also never seen this glaze before. It reminded me of iron rust or teadust... Huairen? But to the naked eye this is is black with tiny greyish speckles/oil spots. Under a flash camera it looks more brownish. Any help, as always, is greatly appreciated! The shape is particularly difficult to capture in pictures, as it appears flatter in photographs (but actually has a somewhat tapered base which reminded me, and is perhaps an imitation of, some Song ceramics).

Many thanks!

High quality pics, as always, in google drive link below:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1z9ToDj0EkLme19OqNlJayMe_JoQfGS7i?usp=sharing
Title: Re: A puzzle! Brush pot?
Post by: peterp on Nov 24, 2019, 09:14:14
The excellent looking glaze is in contrast to the overly rough base. I have never seen this, but black items are often attributed to southern and/or coastal kilns. I would also keep an open mind to the possibility that it might be made in Annam, or similar.
If it were only the glaze it might be from Jizhou kiln.
Title: Re: A puzzle! Brush pot?
Post by: Isaac1998 on Nov 24, 2019, 09:53:50
Thanks, Peter. Do you have any idea of age?

And do you know what we would call a glaze like this? Or would it just be 'black glaze with oil spots'?
Title: Re: A puzzle! Brush pot?
Post by: peterp on Nov 24, 2019, 18:30:08
That is not oil spots. And no, the age is difficult to establish with a bottom like this.
Title: Re: A puzzle! Brush pot?
Post by: Isaac1998 on Nov 25, 2019, 14:28:07
Thanks, Peter. Do you know what we would call this glaze? I've never seen anything like it.

I'm also confused by the shape- is this a brush pot, or a censer? Or something else? I'm really a little lost!