TZ'U-CHOU WARE

Pinyin Cizhou, stoneware produced in Chihli Province, northern China, during the Sung (9601279), Yuan (12791368), and Ming (13681644) dynasties. Vases, bottles, and other vessels are decorated with simple but marvellously assured brushwork in brown, black, or gray on a white, cream, buff, or, occasionally, turquoise background; the pale background is achieved by applying a coating of slip (semi-liquid clay) to the body of the vessel before firing. Bold strokes, curves, seemingly haphazard splotches, freehand concentric bands around the vessel, and sketchy animals and birds are typical decorative motifs. Another type of ornamentation consists of incisions in the slip coating that reveal the contrasting colour of the body beneath.