The Surface and the Line

Bowl, Jun Ware

Jun wares are characterized by their thick bodies and intense, but unpredictable, colored designs, which contrast with the careful compositions and delicate coloring of other ceramics of the time. They were covered with an opalescent glaze that appears blue to the eye, and then a copper pigment was blown or brushed onto the vessel. When the piece was fired, it developed a dynamic surface pattern, with areas of purple appearing upon a robin’s egg blue ground, sometimes highlighted with splashes of vibrant red or green. It was nearly impossible to make two identical Jun wares, as their appearance derived from the vagaries of the kiln. This vessel demonstrates the unique visual possibilities of Jun ware, with its winding striations, called “earthworm tracks” that appear under the rim, as well as the mottled texture of the opalescent glaze, which is often compared to the skin of a tangerine.

Interested in learning more about Jun Wares? Check out these wares from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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