Miniature wine cup, one of a set of seven
Place of OriginHenan province, China
DynastyTang dynasty (618-907)
MaterialsLow-fired ceramic with three-color glaze in brown, green, and white
DimensionsH. 1 1/8 in x Diam. 2 in, H. 2.9 cm x Diam. 5.1 cm
Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection
Object numberB65P31
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsCeramics
On View
Not on viewOne of the earliest known wine sets, made from lacquered wood and consisting of a triangular counter with several dishes, came to light from a Western Han tomb in Hunan, generic of the Chu culture (Hunan Mus. 1973 vol. II: 151, fig. 160). In ceramics, wine sets were first produced in Han lead-glazed ware in the Central Plains, and later spread into the south. In archaeological reports, the term qixing-pan (seven-star dish) is borrowed to refer to three-color glazed sets of the High Tang (Luoyang Mus. 1980: pl. 96; CGK Zenshu 1983 vol. VII: 95-6).
approx. 700-750