Melon-Shaped Ewer with Triple-Strand Handle and Floral Tendrils (Liao dynasty (907–1124), 11th century): Artwork and History

Melon-Shaped Ewer with Triple-Strand Handle and Floral Tendrils (Liao dynasty (907–1124), 11th century) 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:

This ewer was probably used to pour wine, which was customarily served warm. Its grey-tinged glaze, melon-like form, and triple-strand handle with floral tendrils are most distinctive to ceramics made under the Liao, a semi-nomadic people who conquered north China and established their southern capital in the area of present-day Beijing (Peking).

Object facts

• Title: Melon-Shaped Ewer with Triple-Strand Handle and Floral Tendrils
• Date: Liao dynasty (907–1124), 11th century
• Artist attribution: China
• Place of origin: China
• Medium: Porcelain with underglaze molded decoration
• Dimensions: 15.7 × 9.5 cm (6 3/16 × 3 3/4 in.); Diam.: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.)
• Type: Vessel
• Department: Arts of Asia
• Reference number: 1924.336

Collection credit

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

View the original

Explore the artwork in the Art Institute's collection, including its image and the museum's current catalogue details.

The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.