Song Dynasty Stoneware Vessel

Northern Song Dynasty, 960–1279 AD, China

Charming, robust stoneware vessel, likely produced in Fujian or Guangdong provinces in southern China. Designed for domestic use and export, such vessels were commonly used to store oils, medicines, or even mercury. This particular example was salvaged from a shipwreck, bearing the marks of long submersion in the sea: the dark iron glaze shows heavy encrustations, natural deterioration, and a distinctive, appealing patination.

These utilitarian bottles were integral to the vibrant maritime trade between China and the Indonesian archipelago during the Song period. The ceramic art of the Song Dynasty is historically divided into Northern Song (960–1127) and Southern Song (1127–1275) periods. Song court tastes favored elegant, understated forms and subtle glazes, reflecting the refined aesthetic sensibilities and contemplative atmosphere of the era.

This vessel embodies both the technical skill of Song potters and the cross-cultural reach of Chinese maritime trade during the first millennium.

Good condition. Wear commensurate with age and use. Glazing defects and firing flaws. Size approx. 18,0cm x 7,5cm x 7,4cm.

Provenance: Dutch private collection

References and further reading:

Song to Yuan dynasties 960–1350, National Palace Museum, Taipei.(https://www.npm.edu.tw/exh99/ceramics/en/page-3.html#main)

The Enchantment of Song, Ying Jang & Annika Waenerberg, 2002, Academia.(https://www.academia.edu/10582197/The_Enchantment_of_Song)