Dragon-Handled Amphora 三彩双龙耳瓶 (Tang dynasty, (A.D. 618–907), 1st half of 8th century 唐 （公元 618-907)，八世纪前半段): Artwork and History

Dragon-Handled Amphora 三彩双龙耳瓶 (Tang dynasty, (A.D. 618–907), 1st half of 8th century 唐 （公元 618-907)，八世纪前半段) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as China.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Many scholars suggest that this distinctive Tang form may have been inspired by earlier, Hellenistic ceramic and glass vessels deriving from the Greek amphora. If so, Chinese artisans thoroughly transformed that ancient shape: They created a high-shouldered silhouette with a slender neck, which is gracefully framed by curved handles, whose dragon heads bite the cupped mouth-rim in their open jaws. This vessel displays a fluid "three-color" glaze, named after the archetypical combination of bright green, amber, and white (transparent) lead-rich glazes colored with carefully measured recipes of metallic oxides. The green derives from copper and the amber from iron.

Object facts

• Title: Dragon-Handled Amphora 三彩双龙耳瓶
• Date: Tang dynasty, (A.D. 618–907), 1st half of 8th century 唐 （公元 618-907)，八世纪前半段
• Artist attribution: China
• Place of origin: China
• Medium: Earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead glazes 三彩铅釉陶器
• Dimensions: H. 38.7 cm (15.2 in.) diam. 17.5 cm (6.9 in.) 高 38.7 厘米 （15.2 英寸），直径 17.5 cm （6.9 英寸）
• Type: Vessel
• Department: Arts of Asia
• Reference number: 1924.286

Collection credit

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

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