Tang san cai

Tang san cai was first found in Luoyang City in the early days of the 20th century. It is the general term for lead glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty. Tang san cai is fired for twice times by using kaolin as the base. The base is of pure white and fine texture. First firing the plain base, then re-firing after base being glazed, so it is also called glazing firing. Adding copper, iron, cobalt and manganese to the glaze materials as color agent, through firing, gorgeous color, such as green, yellow, blue and purple, are formed by using the color generation mechanism of metallic oxide contained in minerals. Because the three color of yellow, green and white are commonly seen, so it got the name of "Tang san cai" (three colors in Tang Dynasty).

The moulds of Tang san cai mainly are living utensils, such as vase, kettle, canister, earthen bowl, plate, cup and pillow, some pottery Tomb Figure and animal statue also included. And there are also some moulds of house, furniture, chest and cabinet, pond, and ox carriage. Most are used as the burial objects. Only a few are used for daily life.

Tri-colored vase in a shape of phoenix-head

The vase is made in the Tang Dynasty, 32cm in height, 5-3.8cm in caliber and 9.7-8.9cm in bottom diameter. It was unearthed in a tomb of Luoyang, Henan Province and collected by Louyang Cultural Relics Working Team. The vase is a water vase, which has exquisite mould and delicate handicraft. It has a small mouth in a shape of phoenix head, narrow neck, oval-shaped deep belly, ring foot. The vase body is applied with yellow and brown glaze, which flow naturally. There is one design of embossed hunting by riding on horse on one side of its belly, standing phoenix interlocked with flowers and leaves on the other side.

Tri-colored pottery kettle in a shape of double fishes

The kettle is made in the Tang Dynasty, 24.5cm in height, 4.1cm in caliber and 10.4cm in foot diameter. Unearthed in Yidu of Shandong Province, and collected in Shandong Museum. Tri-colored pottery is the main technique of Tang Pottery, which develops from the simple and elegant to the magnificent and luxury. The pottery is mainly applied with green glaze, with yellow, brown, white, emerald green and blue color as the supplement. The color is exquisite and lustrous. The kettle has a twinned mould in a shape of double fishes. It has small mouth, bulged belly, and high ring-foot. There is fin-shaped decoration on its two sides. There are transverse ears upside for fastening ropes, which make it easy for carrying. It presents a shape of double fishes when side-looking, a shape of 4 fishes when looking down at.

Tri-colored pottery pillow with Mandarin ducks design

Made in the Tang Dynasty, 5.5cm in height, 12.5cm in length and 10cm in width, this pillow is unearthed in Luoyang City of Henan Province in 1971 and collected by Luoyang Cultural Relics Working Team. The base presents a color of white. It was applied with brown, blue and white glazes on green ground. It presents a shape of rectangle, while the surface of pillow presents a shape of concave arc. The edges and corners are clear and obvious and extremely regular. The surface of the pillow is incised with a design of Mandarin duck playing with lotus, decorated with floral design. The lines are even and smooth, the design is vivid and funny, there are point designs in brown color applied on the flank of its periphery, which sets off the surface of pillow.

Tri-colored pottery with camel carrying musician Tomb Figure

Made in the Tang Dynast. 58cm in height, 43cm in length, the pottery is unearthed in the tombs in Xi'an of Shanxi, and collected in Shanxi Museum. It is burial object in the Tang Dynasty. The camel is white from head to foot. There is one oblong-shaped felt blanket on its back. The rim of the blanket is blue, and the middle is incised with diamond-shaped design, which is applied separately with different color alternating with reddish brown, green, blue and white color. There is one platform on the camel's back. There are 7 male musician Tomb Figures who are separately playing sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument), xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), pipa (a plucked string instrument), harp, support, clappers and pan pipe. There is one standing female Tomb Figure with long sleeves on the platform dancing and singing trippingly amidst the musician Tomb Figures.

Zisha (redware)
Foshan pottery sculpture