Chinese Olive Green Glazed Vase Jar Cunliffe Collection Han Period BC 206 AD 220

Chinese Olive Green Glazed Vase Jar Cunliffe Collection Han Period BC 206 AD 220

ITEM DETAILS

Inventory Code: INV4586

Object: Jar

Material: Earthenware with olive green lead glaze

Origin: China

Period: Han Dynasty

Date: 206 BC – AD 220

Decoration: Olive green glaze with natural weathering and burial iridescence

Mark: Unmarked

MEASUREMENTS

Height: 5.8 in / 14.7 cm

Width: 6.9 in / 17.5 cm

CONDITION

GOOD (4/5) – Glaze weathering, surface wear, burial accretions, and rim chips consistent with age and excavation. Please review the photos carefully for more details.

DESCRIPTION

A Chinese olive green glazed pottery jar dating to the Han Dynasty, of squat baluster form with a broad rounded body and short everted neck.

The vessel is covered in a green lead glaze that has developed attractive weathering, iridescence, and areas of surface alteration over centuries.

The simple form is characteristic of Han funerary pottery, produced for inclusion in tombs and intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.

A well-proportioned example with an appealing archaeological surface and strong historical presence.

COLLECTOR’S NOTE

Lead-glazed pottery vessels were widely produced during the Han Dynasty and represent some of the earliest glazed ceramics in China. Burial conditions often create the distinctive iridescent and weathered surfaces prized by collectors today.

Examples with documented collection histories are particularly desirable and provide an important record of their collecting provenance.

NOTES

Provenance: According to the collection inventory, the larger jar was purchased at Sotheby’s on 20 March 1950 and was formerly in the Cunliffe Collection, no. PH9 (label), and John Sparks Ltd. (label).

Please review all photos carefully as they form part of the description.