Chinese Floral Relief Urn, c. 1850

Originally used for pickling food, this large earthenware jar was sculpted in China's Shanxi province nearly two centuries ago, shaped by hand with grand scale and wabi-sabi texture. The monumental vessel is cloaked inside and out with a beautiful drip glaze that lingers on every imperfection, streaming down the sides with rich color ranging from warm brown to cool black. Subtle ridges and indentations throughout suggest the jar was fashioned by coiling flattened ropes of clay and then tapped with a paddle to achieve a faceted texture. The interior is repeatedly stamped with a pattern suggestive of rippling water, encouraging the glaze to flow and drip with irregular movement and color variance. The rounded rim is left unglazed, the raw earthenware texture set in contrast to the glossy finish of the sides. Today, the monumental pot...

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