A superb Jian black-glazed temmoku bowl, Song dynasty 宋 建窰烏金釉斗笠盞

Black-glazed tea bowls produced from the Jian kiln, present-day Jianyang county of Fujian province, were classic vessels for tea consumption in the Song dynasty. The intrinsic qualities of Jian bowls made them particularly suited for tea preparation and enjoyment. In size and form they were comfortable to hold. Their heavy potting had an insulating effect, keeping the tea inside hot while protecting the fingers from the heat. Their speckled black glazes subtly imbued with the spectral coloration of refracted light heightened the aesthetic experience of a well-formed white froth. Additionally, Jian bowls were made in the same province as the empire’s prized teas, providing another link between the vessel and its contents.

Jian tea bowls are known in two types of shapes, the more common type are those with a waisted rim, much rare are those of conical form with flared sizes such as the present example. Jian bowls of the latter type are also generally in larger proportions than the first type. This auction proudly presents three Jian bowls in conical form of varying dimensions (lots 5028-5030) which are rarely seen in the market.

建窰黑盞，其質謙素內斂，胎體厚重，舉而不燙，茶溫久恆，釉色沉黑，注茶擊拂，起白花，便於觀色，故為鬥茶絕品。建盞主要分兩類造形，較常見者為斂口盌，斗笠撇口盌如本品者較為罕見，後者尺寸多較前者大。本場拍賣欣呈三件尺寸不一的建窰烏金釉茶盞（拍品編號 5028-5030），實屬難得。