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Amphora

late 7th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 205
Brilliantly colored lead glazes in shades of green, amber, and white, which are known as three-color, or sancai, glazes, were widely used in funerary goods in the late seventh and the first half of the eighth century. The shape of this ewer derives from the metalwork of the ancient Iranian world and illustrates the impact of trade along the famed Silk Road.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Amphora
  • Period: Tang dynasty (618–907)
  • Date: late 7th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Earthenware with three-color (sancai) glaze
  • Dimensions: H. 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Gift of Stanley Herzman, in memory of Gladys Herzman, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.1.2
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Tray, Earthenware with three-color (sancai) glaze, China
Tray
China
8th century
Covered jar, Earthenware with three-color (sancai) glaze, China
Covered jar
China
ca. late 7th–first half of the 8th century
Camel, Earthenware with three-color (sancai) glaze, China
Camel
China
8th century
Seated court lady, Earthenware with tri-color (sancai) glaze, China
Seated court lady
China
8th century
Horse and female rider, Earthenware with three-color (sancai) glaze and pigment, China
Horse and female rider
China
late 7th–first half of the 8th century

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