Lidded ewer. Song Dynasty, China, 12th-13th century.

Ewer with lid. Song Dynasty, China, 12th-13th century.
Yingqing (Qingbai) earthenware.
Measurements: 22,5 cm.

Qingbai lidded ewer dated to the Southern Song dynasty, between the 12th and 13th centuries. Although derived from them, Qingbai pieces are not properly celadons, and are the last monochrome style of the Song dynasty. Its name refers to the bluish-white tone of its glaze, a very light and light blue, very poorly defined. This type of pottery was for common, non-court use, something rare at a time when porcelain was almost exclusively for imperial use. Made at the Jingdezhen pottery center, Qingbai wares are already porcelain rather than stoneware, with paste including feldspar and kaolin. Production probably began during the Northern Song dynasty (XX), but it will be with the Southern Song when production stabilized, specifically from the Ding kilns. The decorations and typologies will derive directly from what was done in the north, but the part and the glaze are already totally different.