Illustrated is a pot made in the
Tang Dynasty style, though many, many years later. This phoenix-headed ewer is
glazed in the sancai style made popular during the Tang period (618-906), the
body is a softer earthenware with molded handle and beak spout attached. The
ewer has a number of sprigged decorations applied around the body and once
glazed, the amber form is further highlighted by copper and cobalt accents
which accentuate the details and decorations of the form. Though not a piece
made during the Tang Dynasty, it certainly represents the spirit of the time
and was crafted in a traditional manner, meant to mimic the original processes
of ancient China. The origins of these pots spreads across the old Silk Road
trade route, originating in ancient Persian and were quickly imitated in their
own unique style in China beginning in the early 8th century. In exchange for
silks and spices, the Persian merchants traded luxurious silver, pottery and
textiles that were highly coveted by the burgeoning nobility of the period. This
ewer is certainly a pleasant enough piece and surely as close to an original as
I will ever get, looking rather nice up on a shelf and even getting dusted from time to time.
Old Tang Commercial
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