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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2009.102
Title
Ewer with Short, Flaring Neck, Short Spout, and Handle in the Form of a Leaping Lion
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
holder
Date
9th century
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China, Hebei province, Quyang
Period
Tang dynasty, 618-907
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/6318

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Ding ware: Porcelain with pale, ivory-hued glaze over appliqué molded decoration. From North China, probably from the Ding kilns, near Quyang, Hebei province.
Dimensions
H. 20.7 x W. 13.4 x Diam. 11.7 cm (8 1/8 x 5 1/4 x 4 5/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
H. Medill Sarkisian(1909-1993) purchased object in China between 1946 and 1949
Collection of H. Medill Sarkisian, Denver, CO (1946/49-1965)
Private Collection, San Francisco, CA (1965-2001), purchased from H. Medill Sarkisian in 1965
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, NY (2001), purchased from the private collector
William B. Goldstein, M.D., Wilton, CT (2001-2009), purchased from J.J. Lally & Co.
Partial Gift/Partial Purchase, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard Art Museum (2009)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Partial gift of William B. Goldstein, M.D., and partial gift of Mrs. Henry James, by exchange
Accession Year
2009
Object Number
2009.102
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
This ewer has an ovoid body that rests on a solid, slightly flaring foot. The steep walls rise rapidly to the shoulder, where they curve inward and then angle upward to complete the container portion. A bowed neck stands atop the shoulder, its lip turned delicately outward. A short spout in the form of an open-mouthed creature juts upward from the top of the shoulder; opposing the spout is a handle in the form of a slender, leaping lion with hind paws resting on the vessel shoulder and forepaws reaching over and grasping onto the vessel lip. The lion's head and shoulders rise above the top of the vessel and his jaws clamp down onto the edge of the lip, as if it were biting its prey. A thin, even coat of ivory-hued glaze covers the ewer's interior and exterior, stopping no more than a centimeter above the foot, so that the flat base and very lowest portion of the vessel remain unglazed. The exposed body clay is pure white.

Exhibition History

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu