Yuan Dynasty, Underglaze Red Ewer with Crane and Grass Motif, Chinese Ceramics, Mingei, Yanagi Soets

Yuan Dynasty Underglaze Red Ewer with Crane and Grass Motif

This is a Yuan Dynasty underglaze red ewer with a crane and grass motif. Underglaze red is a decorative technique where copper pigment is applied under a transparent glaze, appearing red in a reducing flame. The Jingdezhen kilns of the Yuan Dynasty perfected this technique by improving the white porcelain body. This ewer, a vessel with a spout, was a popular form during the Yuan Dynasty. The exterior of the bowl's body features a lama-style lotus petal pattern, with the inner side below the unglazed rim outlined with a double line arabesque pattern. The main motif on the interior base depicts a crane holding trailing grass. In the early Yuan Dynasty, copper red glaze was still in the experimental and exploratory stage, with craftsmen's skills not yet mature, resulting in unstable colors that often appeared gray or black, or partially faded. Underglaze red from the Yuan Dynasty is extremely rare. Dimensions of the piece: diameter 14.2 cm, maximum width 18 cm, height 5.5 cm, weight 539 grams, accompanied by a box.