BOWL, Hutian Kiln, qingbai ware, Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE)

A qingbai-glazed bowl from the Hutian kiln of the Song Dynasty.

Hutian Kiln, a leading Song-dynasty workshop in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, produced many examples of yingqing ware by applying a translucent qingbai glaze over a white clay body. Yingqing, also called qingbai ware, is characterized by the bright clarity of the white body and a faint bluish tinge where the glaze gathers. This bowl displays a pale qingbai glaze, with traces of the clay body and kiln-fire coloration layered across its surface.

The vessel takes the form of a bowl with a broadly flaring rim. It gently expands from the rim toward the body and is supported on a low footring. Fine wheel‑throwing lines remain on the body, lending the piece an overall unpretentious character. Concentric lines are incised in the interior, visually tightening the otherwise broad inner surface.

The interior is smoothly coated with a shadow-blue glaze, presenting a pale bluish‑white tone. The glaze surface shows fine crazing, with specks of iron and clay remaining here and there. Rather than appearing uniformly clear white, subtle layers of blue, gray, and fired hues overlap, producing a calm, muted surface.

The rim has been fired through, leaving the body exposed and a narrow reddish band of clay encircling it. The contrast between the exposed clay and the pale qingbai glaze clearly defines the vessel’s contours. On the exterior, an ash-blue glaze is thinly applied, and traces of clay remain around the foot.

The rim diameter measures approximately 16.7 cm, a size readily seen as a teabowl. Its gently flared profile makes it convenient for sencha or Chinese tea as a vessel on which to rest the teapot, and its proportions also allow it to serve as a dish for sweets.

The rim and glazed surface show age-related chips, abrasion, glaze crazing, and traces of adherent soil. As an archaeologically excavated Song-dynasty ceramic, the overall form is well preserved.