Brush Washer
Ru ware is the rarest and most celebrated of all Chinese imperial wares. It was made for the late Northern Song court for a very short time and was therefore extremely rare and precious. Simplicity and refined elegance are Ru ware's hallmarks. Its graceful shape, soft luster, and subtle color variation of the glaze interact in perfect unity. Other physical characteristics include an ash-grey body, soft greyblue glaze with a fine crackle, as well as small sesame-seed spur marks on the base.
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- diameter: width 0.128 m; overall: height 0.038 m
- Department
- Chinese Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- John L. Severance Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
9 tags
Visual Qualities
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Cracked Both · 99%
The museum specifically describes a fine crackle in the glaze, and an extensive network of crackle is clearly visible across the interior and exterior surfaces.
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Smooth Surface Both · 84%
The catalog describes Ru ware's soft luster, and the image shows a generally smooth glazed surface with subdued reflection beneath the crackle.
Medium and Techniques
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Glass and Ceramics Both · 96%
The catalog identifies porcelaneous stoneware in Ru ware, and the image clearly shows a glazed ceramic vessel.
Time Periods
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1000 - 1400 CE Art Metadata · 98%
The catalogued date range, late 1000s–1127, falls within the 1000–1400 CE period.
Geographic Regions
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Chinese Art Metadata · 99%
The Cleveland Museum of Art identifies the object as Chinese Art and gives its place of origin as China, Henan Province, Baofeng, Qingliangsi.
Materials
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Ceramic Both · 99%
The museum classifies the work as Ceramic and identifies its medium as porcelaneous stoneware; the image visibly shows a fired ceramic vessel with a glazed surface.
Design Concepts and Techniques
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Restrained Forms Both · 90%
The museum describes simplicity and refined elegance as hallmarks of Ru ware; the image shows an unornamented, low rounded form with a softly curved rim and ring foot.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Song Dynasty Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the brush washer to the Northern Song dynasty, with a displayed date of late 1000s–1127.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Vessel Both · 95%
The catalog title identifies the object as a Brush Washer, while the image shows a shallow, open, footed bowl-like vessel.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Brush Washer. Cleveland Museum of Art.