Teabowl with a 'hare's fur' glaze
c. 960 - c. 1279
Medium
turning
Dimensions
4; 6.8; 12.1
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
…; collection of Herman Karel Westendorp (1868-1941), Amsterdam, 1941;{Note RMA.} his widow Betsy Westendorp-Osieck (1880-1968), Amsterdam, by whom bequeathed to the Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst, 1968;{note RMA.} from whom on loan to the museum, 1972
Art Historical Context
This exquisite teabowl, crafted anonymously during China's Song dynasty (c. 960–1279), exemplifies the era's mastery of ceramic artistry. Measuring just 6.8 cm high and 12.1 cm in diameter, it was formed using the "turning" technique—likely wheel-throwing on a potter's lathe—for a perfectly balanced, ergonomic shape ideal for the ritualized tea drinking of the time. The standout feature is its 'hare's fur' glaze a glossy black temmoku effect where iron-rich slips crystallized in the kiln, creating fine, radiating streaks resembling a hare's pelt. This natural phenomenon, achieved through precise high-temperature firing in Jian kilns (Fujian province), was revered for its subtle beauty and unpredictability. Song dynasty ceramics represent a high point in Chinese porcelain and stoneware innovation, influencing East Asian tea culture profoundly. These bowls were prized by Chan (Zen) Buddhist monks for chanoyu, or tea ceremonies, where the glaze's fluid patterns enhanced the meditative experience of whisking powdered tea. Exported widely, they inspired Japanese raku ware and remain collector's treasures today. Acquired by Dutch collector Herman Karel Westendorp (1868–1941) in Amsterdam, the bowl passed to his widow Betsy Westendorp-Osieck and was bequeathed in 1968 to the Vereniging van Vrienden der Aziatische Kunst. On loan to the museum since 1972, it bridges centuries of global appreciation for Song aesthetics.
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...