Tang Sancai

An Introduction to Tang Sancai

Tang Sancai, a versatile type of ceramic decoration in Chinese pottery, known for its iconic brown, green and creamy off-white slip and glazes. The fall of the Sui Dynasty saw the rise of the Tang in 618. Ceramicists in northern China developed the three-colour sancai ceramic that flourished in a period of time where many considered the golden age of art, culture and innovation.

Archaeological evidence shows sancai was excessively created for the Imperial elite who used these pieces as tomb artifacts. These funerary pieces often took the forms of animals such as camels and horses, alongside other figurative forms. Vessels such as bowls, vases and incense burners were often decorated with stylized flowers. The characteristics of the sancai ceramics include the runny finish of colours flowing together. To achieve this effect, the pottery ware and figurines were covered in a low-fire lead glaze containing metal oxides such as copper and iron to create the iconic green, brown, yellow, and occasionally; blue hues were allowed to mix and run naturally over the contours of the vessels.

Sancai travelled along the Silk Road. It would be later extensively used in Syrian Cypriot and Italian pottery in the 13rd – 15th century, as well as becoming a popular style on Japanese and other East Asian ceramics.

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