Cizhou-Type Bottle
14th century or later
Physical Qualities
Stoneware with underfired black glaze, 11 in. (27.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Julius Levy Memorial Fund
Object Number
2016.31
A well-fired black glaze is a deep, shiny black color. Insufficiently high temperatures or irregularities in the kiln’s atmosphere can lead to different effects, including the greenish cast seen here. Kilns across the northern Chinese countryside have produced everyday ceramics like this liquor bottle from the Song Dynasty (960–1279) until late in the 20th
century. The ceramics are so consistent, determining a precise date can be impossible.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2016; private collection, Honolulu; purchased c. 1987, Guangzhou
Frances Klapthor, The Baltimore Museum of art, "Across East Asia: China's Cultural & Artistic Legacy," October 30, 2019-December 31, 2023.
