Northern Song dynasty AD960-1127

Ewer with dragon spout, Ding ware

Northern Song dynasty, 10th century

 

This elegant white porcelain ding ware features a flaring mouth with a fitted lid adorned with a knop resembling a flower bud. Its long neck gently flares outward, leading to a rounded body shaped like an eight-lobed melon. The spout, curved and adorned with a meticulously crafted dragon head, showcases detailed scales, nostrils, and eyes. Opposite the spout is a triple-ridged handle, flanked by two circular knots where it connects to the vessel. The piece rests on a low circular foot. The glaze exhibits a soft white hue tinged with yellow-gray, with several vertical crackle patterns. Dragon-head motifs on spouts are hallmarks of high-quality ding ware, with renowned examples discovered at the Jingzhi Temple Pagoda Base (977) and the Jingzhongyuan Pagoda Base (995) in Ding County, Hebei. The dragon-head spout on this piece resembles that of a white porcelain ewer in the Nezu Museum collection in Japan, suggesting that it may have originally been part of a matching tea set with a warming bowl.