Yellow Glazed Earthenware Bowl

[kardinalisimo]

Got this from the local antique mall. It was advertised as Rockville, famous pottery place in Maryland, USA. I did not think so and bought it hoping to be Chinese. It is approx. 11" in diameter and 3 1/2" tall.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

[Stan]

Im not familiar with Rockville but it dose have a western look to it.

[kardinalisimo]

I don't know Stan. I will upload some better photos. If Western, any idea what it could be? At least it looks quite old to me but course everything can be faked nowadays.

[Stan]

It could also be a Japanese Racu.

[kardinalisimo]

I found something similar from Afganistan.
lovelifeloavesandfishes.wordpress.com/
If you scroll down you will see some examples. The one that shows the foot looks quite similar.

[peterp]

Looks as if that could be it!

[kardinalisimo]

Not necessarily Afgan but from that region. Could be Iran or Pakistan. Wish I knew how to date it.
It is interesting that some of the early Islamic pottery have tricolor decoration over slip similar to the Chinese sancai wares.

[Jamila]

HI there - is it possible to see the bowl you're talking about?  I'm the blogger whose blog was mentioned in this string - Lovelifeloavesandfishes - and some of the bowls are ours, from our website.  I'd happily take a look at a photo of the bowl someone has been asking about, in terms of provenance, if that would help?

[Jamila]

OK, I've just realised that I can see the photos now I'm a member!  All is clear - my apologies.

I've taken a look at the photos down the bottom.  For what it's worth, one thing that is missing is what would normally be quite typical for Afghan pottery of this rustic kind, namely the 3 stilt marks left by the pads of clay or similar that keep pots apart in the kiln.  Except with finer ceramics, the usual village quality work would show these marks, as - from a purely economic point of view - potters needed to be able to pack as much into the kiln as possible.  You can read more about this on lovelifeloavesandfishes.wordpress.com/ in my post Red Thread Suitcase Show - Afghan bowls Backstory.    It also seems quite deep compared to the more usual wide afghan profile.  But similar iron yellow glaze over white slip, by the looks of it, and similar roughly grogged clay.

[peterp]

I should note that the whole thing gives the impression as if the bowl was used as a container for the yellow color, rather than being a decoration by itself.
The rim shape is quite unlikely in classical Chinese ceramics.

[Jamila]

Hi there - didn't quite understand your comment about being a container for the yellow colour - do you mean, for the liquid glaze?  Please explain.
Just enlarged your photos too - the 3 "pad" shapes are there, so this could fit afghan making processes.  It's definitely been thrown off the hump, given the way the bottom rim has been formed.  Lack of decoration and the rather rough base might point to a cheaper price point originally?

[peterp]

Well, to me it looks as if either a yellow colored glaze or decoration color was placed in the bowl, where it then could have been taken when needed. The way the bowl looks on the outside a brush or other tool could have been wipe on the age, to remove the excess, whereas something of the paint did run down the outside. It is just an assumption. I cannot imagine that someone seriously would apply such a decoration.
First, I would try some solvents, to see if the yellow color is removable on the outside.
It could be that it is just something unfinished, or that someone tried something. Anyway, this bright yellow color looks odd on such a coarse surface.

[kardinalisimo]

I think the yellow is a glaze. The burnt bumps on the rim must be from firing, don't you think. Also, is not it common for some old Asian pottery to have the glaze unevently applied?

[peterp]

Maybe on modern items, or Japanese items, but not on such items, and before all not with this color. My personal view.

[Jamila]

Part 1 of answer:
HI there - perhaps my perspective might help, as I am also a professionally trained potter and ceramic artist.  I think your confusion comes from not being familiar with the way earthenware vessels of this kind are decorated.
The clay used for the vessel is earthenware, which in this case is iron rich.  It's advantage is that it is easy to find in the ground, and fires hard at a relatively low level, compared to porcelain, which fires very high.  For a potter firing with wood, this makes a huge difference to the quantity of firewood required, and thus the final price of the vessel.  However, as the vessel itself is a dark reddish brown if fired with nothing except coloured glaze on top, the iron in the clay reacts with the iron in the glaze to change the colour.  You would never get that beautiful yellow glaze on that vessel without a protective layer between the body of the vessel and the yellow glaze.  The yellow glaze was often used as it has few ingredients that are readily found, and the colouring matter is itself iron ie cheap.  Therefore the vessel was first slipped.  This was done by pouring a white clay slip into the vessel, swirling it round in order to cover all the interior, and then pouring it out.  This is how the dribbles occur, and unlike our western desire to see everything neat and tidy, in cultures like afghan culture different classes of vessel would see these dribbles left (eg cheaper utilitarian vessels).(My post is becoming too long, so will post part 2 of this answer next)