Crackle Glaze Figurine

Started by kardinalisimo, May 28, 2014, 10:43:09

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kardinalisimo

The figure is made of two molded pieces joined together. I guess that will make it recent, right? Were not the old ones hand crafted?
Don't know if that is considered Shiwan ware. The parts of the body not covered by clothes are usually bisque.
Any idea who is that man sitting on unicorn?
By the way, the gray substance that can be seen on the chipped glaze is the same(or similar) as the one on the flambe washer I posted about. I guess there was an excessive glaze on the base that was ground.

Stan,
again to the Langyao red ware. Few quotes from koh antique.
"Copper oxide is volatile and hard to control duirng firing.  Hence, successfully fired red glaze vessels are difficult to find."

"The control of the flow of the glaze is excellent during Kangxi period and seldom run off the foot.  Those of the later Qing period tends to run off the foot and stuck to the kiln support.  Majority required the over-run glaze to be filed off."
So, the "sloppy" base that you have on your vase does not necessarily make it recent.


Stan

Thanks kardinalisimo, for the information,

peterp

This can hardly be Shiwan ware. Shiwan ware is another type of pottery.
What do you mean with 'gray substance' on the glaze. If it is the gray color just below the glaze, seemingly adhering to the clay (1st image), then no, this is the color of the clay (paste), which here looks gray. The orange color is from the iron oxide, but at the glaze covered places the original color remains after firing. Removal of the glaze shows it. And no, the glaze was not ground down, a ground area looks much neater. Again this was removed with some other tool.

Langyao red is a different glaze from other red glazes. It is thinner. That is why the white porcelain body is visible around the top rim, where temperature is higher.
Some red glazes, especially the thicker ones, were just intended that way, to flow down to the bottom, while others were better controlled. Depends probably on period as well as kiln. Most likely, there was a relation between the quality of the item and its price too. Some kilns were just specialized on one of these. Langyao is known for the wares with the white top edge. See http://tinyurl.com/lwfwu6a

Controlling kiln temperature was a very difficult thing, and with no electricity, keeping the temperature at the very exact, ideal point to let the glaze flow just in the right manner, but not too much was something few of the kiln workers could do.

kardinalisimo

Thanks for the reply Peter.
So, the original color of the figurine's paste was gray? I was talking about the over-flown glaze on the red bowl's bottom being filled off. I was trying to find a connection between the gray marks on the two pieces.
Anyway, what do you think it the figure - recent, vintage, antique?



peterp

Perhaps vintage.

You cannot compare the gray areas. That on the bottom is from the support. Difficult to tell what caused this, but gray ring areas from support is not normal with antiques.

Stan

Good site Peter, that just motivates me more to learn Chinese.