930 - Small porcelain water container ''Water Pot'', Song Ding ware kiln

Small porcelain water container ''Water Pot'', Song Ding ware kiln China, Song dynasty or later. Porcelain with whitish glaze inside and out. H. 6.5 cm, d. approx. 9.5 cm. Significant signs of age, small chips to the foot ring. -Provenance: North German private collection. The ceramics of the Song dynasty (960-1279) are famous for their harmonious forms, restrained decoration and extraordinarily mature glazes. Water vessels were part of the basic equipment of the scholar's desk. They were usually small, round vessels that were used to hold a precise amount of water for preparing ink. Scholars used them to rub the ink, to regulate the flow of water in calligraphy and painting and to carve seals. Ding porcelain occupies a prominent position among the important kilns of the time. It is characterized by white, partly translucent porcelain, which is valued for its purity, clear forms and simple elegance.