Artwork Page for Leather Bag-Shaped Flask with Cover

Details / Information for Leather Bag-Shaped Flask with Cover

Leather Bag-Shaped Flask with Cover

916–1125

Northeast China, Liao dynasty

(916-1125)
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Medium
earthenware with green glaze
Measurements
Overall: 24.5 x 16.5 x 16 cm (9 5/8 x 6 1/2 x 6 5/16 in.)
Weight: 1.3 kg (2.87 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Donna and James Reid 2012.448.1
Public Domain
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Location
239 Chinese Ceramics and Metalwork
Print

Description

Flasks like these derive their shapes from leather bags; even the edges are finely rouletted to resemble the seams of sewn leather. These were used by the nomadic Khitan people who established the Liao kingdom in Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and North China. Such wares represented the Liao adoption of the Tang Chinese ceramic tradition, and yet they expressed ethnic identity and new innovations resulted from the cultural borrowing.
A rounded green ceramic vessel is shaped like a leather bag. From the top, a small spout with a knobbed lid and two flat, perforated tabs project upward. A vertical crease and rows of raised dots mimic stitched hide. The mottled green glaze thins toward the base, revealing light tan earthenware. Its weathered surface features varying shades of mossy green, accentuating the organic, pouch-like form and its tactile, uneven texture.

Leather Bag-Shaped Flask with Cover

916–1125

Northeast China, Liao dynasty (916-1125)

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