SALE Rare Chinese Han Dynasty Large Glazed Pottery Ding - Dragons

This very rare and unusual example of a ding tripod was made during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220) from a fairly high-fired pale reddish-brown pottery. It is extremely "heavily-potted" and unusually tall. It is coated in a streaky green glaze, the colour of which varies due to runs and variations in its thickness. In places the glaze has acquired a silvery iridescence, especially where thin, a result of exposure to moisture during its very long burial. The heavy body stands on three fairly narrow feet but has two very thick handles on opposing sides at the shoulder. Around the upper wall of the body there appear to possibly be moulded decoration comprising animals but this is very difficult to distinguish. Above this is a band of impressed triangular patterns. The main decoration, however, is to the cover, with a very unusual moulded pattern featuring three dragons flying among clouds.

Diameter at handles 26 cm, height 25 cm. There are ancient chips to the body: to a foot and to the inner mouth rim, otherwise the body appears to be free from restoration or repair. However, the cover has been broken into three pieces and re-stuck. Still, a very rare, unusual and interesting example that we can be sure very few, if any, collectors of Chinese antiquities have in their collection ! Many examples of Han ding tripods are illustrated and described in the fine Southeast Asian Ceramic Society book "Spirit of Han", but there is nothing like this.

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