A celadon jar of broad, squat form, the rounded body moulded with deep vertical flutes that give it the shape of a melon. A short, slightly raised rim stands above a narrow ridge at the shoulder, and the flutes taper to a low foot ringed with grooves. The piece carries no painted or carved decoration: its effect comes from the shape and the glaze, a smooth, glossy grey-green that gathers more thickly in the hollows between the flutes.
The inside is glazed. The foot ring is unglazed, showing a pale buff body, and the recessed base is glazed, with a broad brown ring round its centre. We attribute the jar to the Song dynasty; our guide to Song dynasty ceramics describes the celadon wares of the period.
Learn more: The Song Dynasty
