Pair of Tang White Porcelain Wan Nian Jars (Tang Dynasty / Listed Item)
1,500,000Yen(Tax Included)
This pair of Wan Nian jars embodies the refined aesthetic of the Tang dynasty, expressed through a vessel form of generous volume and quiet dignity. The slightly reddish white body is coated with a milky-white slip and finished with a transparent glaze, forming a three-layered structure. The faintly greenish glaze tone reflects the early stage of Tang white ware, in which impurities had not yet been fully eliminated. Particularly notable is their imposing size, and examples surviving as a lidded pair are exceedingly rare. When exhibited in 70 Selected Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics, the jars still bore substantial earthen accretions characteristic of excavated pieces. These were later carefully removed by specialists at our gallery, allowing the vessels to regain their original clarity of expression. As works that succinctly illustrate the developmental trajectory of Tang white porcelain toward maturity, they represent pieces of exceptional merit, combining both scholarly value and aesthetic appeal.
⇒ Collection of the Kyushu National Museum (External Site)
- Period
- Tang Dynasty
7 - 8th Century
- (A)
Weight
Diameter
Mouth Diameter
Height
Base Diameter
3,430 g
27.2 cm
14.2 cm
31.0 cm
12.2 cm
- (B)
Weight
Diameter
Mouth Diameter
Height
Base Diameter
3,360 g
26.9 cm
14.0 cm
30.5 cm
12.2 cm
- Accessories
- Paulownia Box
- Provenance
- 70 Selected Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics, 1989, Fukuyama Castle Museum, No.19, Listed Item
- Condition (A)
- - The surface exhibits a slightly matte texture
- There are kiln flaws (accretions) on the body.
- There are slight areas of glaze detachment
- There are three tomo‑naoshi (repairs) on the lid (Refer to the image)
- There is one tomo‑naoshi (repair) on the rim (Refer to the image)
- Condition (B)
- - The surface exhibits a slightly matte texture
- There are slight areas of glaze detachment
- There is one tomo‑naoshi (repair) on the lid (Refer to the image)
- There are two tomo‑naoshi (repairs) on the rim (Refer to the image)
Wan Nian Jar
The Wan Nian Jar is characterized by its graceful silhouette, beginning with a broad, open mouth, gently swelling shoulders, and a body that tapers softly toward the base. The lid rises in a rounded dome, crowned with a jewel-shaped finial. According to a widely accepted interpretation, the name derives from the practice of placing grains inside the vessel and burying it in tombs as eternal sustenance for the deceased. With its ample volume and full, rounded form, the Wan Nian Jar is esteemed as one of the representative vessel types of the Tang dynasty.