Tang Tricolor Pottery of China
As a colored pottery craft prevailing in the Tang Dynasty, Tang tricolor pottery takes yellow, brown, and green as its basic glaze colors, so it is named “Tang tricolor pottery” (Tangsancai). It is known for its vivid design, flamboyant color and luster, and rich life ambiance.
Tang Tricolor PotteryThe images of the Tang tricolor pottery are rich and colorful. Generally speaking, they can be classified into several types: the first type is human figures, which are usually of high stature, some 70 or 80 centimeters, and some can reach as high as over 100 centimeters; the second type is the figures of animals, of which the horses and camels are the most eye-attracting; the third type is living utensils, the commonest of which are the utensils closely related to life, such as plates, bowls, kettles, bottles, etc; the fourth type is the models, which are used as articles to be buried with the dead.
Another feature of the Tang tricolor pottery is its color. The practice of applying simultaneously the three glaze colors – red, green and white – to the same article was initiated in the Tang Dynasty. The craftsmen skillfully employed the three colors and fired the pottery in high temperature. After the pottery come out of the kiln, it can take on a colorful appearance with the glaze colors intermingled in between.