Art Institute of Chicago

Bowl in Saggar

China

Date

Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), late 13th/early 14th century

Medium

Bowl: Jun ware, glazed stoneware Saggar: earthenware

Culture

Hunan

Department

Arts of Asia

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Saggars – clay containers used in the pottery firing process – safeguarded the objects within from direct flame, smoke and ash in the kilns, ensuring the pristine and unblemished surfaces for the final products. The incorporation of saggars also guaranteed even heating, thereby enhancing the overall yield of successfully fired vessels. Within this saggar is a bowl from the renowned Jun kiln, which was celebrated for producing visually striking vessels featuring a lavish sky-blue glaze adorned with splashes of purple or crimson pigments. This bowl, likely abandoned at the kiln site due to defects during firing that caused it to fuse with the saggar, provides valuable insights into the firing techniques of the Jun kiln during the Yuan Dynasty.

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