370.
A ‘TEA DUST’ GLAZED DOUBLE GOURD VASE, HULUPING
Qing dynasty, mid 18th century
17 cm high
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 3412.
Inspired by the patina of archaic bronzes, the so-called ‘tea dust’ glaze – chang guan (“factory glaze”) in Chinese – was obtained by introducing yellow crystals on a dark green ground. It was used already during the Tang dynasty in some kilns of northern China, and later reproduced from the Yongzheng period, promoted by Tang Ying (1682-1756), who was supervisor of the Jingdezhen kilns from 1728 to 1748. He included this particular glaze in his treatise compiled in 1735 and entitled Taocheng jishi bei ji (“Commemorative Stele on Ceramic Production”), referring to the existence of three variants: eel-skin yellow, snake-skin green and speckled yellow.
