Small ewer

Many people think that production of fake sancai wares (Tang dynasty low-fired ceramics glazed in three colors) began only within the past twenty years. In fact, such wares have been reproduced from time to time since the tenth century. The most successful versions were made in the seventeenth century. With the advent of increased development and industrialization in China during the late nineteenth century, there were numerous road and housing projects, many of which unearthed vast numbers of ancient tombs. Among the objects in these tombs were some of these colorful ceramics, which had been made to accompany the dead in their afterlives. These objects immediately began to appear on the art market and became popular in the West. In response to this demand, another round of fakes began to be made.

One of these vessels is genuine and one is an excellent modern imitation of a Tang sancai vessel. A curator examined the vessels and pointed out that, while the glazes looked good, the shape of one of the pieces was odd. A small sample was taken from each vessel and tested using the thermoluminescence (TL) technique. The result of the TL test confirmed the curator's suspicion that one of the vessels was made in the twentieth century. Can you tell which one? (Lift the flap to find out.)

The small ewer is an original ancient sancai vessel, and the cooking vessel is a modern fake.