Jug - Stoneware - Martaban storage jar

Antique Chinese Martaban Stoneware Storage Jar – Qing Dynasty – 18th/19th Century

An exceptionally atmospheric antique Chinese brown-glazed stoneware storage jar, dating to the late 18th or 19th century, Qing dynasty. This robust vessel belongs to the broad family of Asian utilitarian storage and transport ceramics commonly associated with the Martaban jar tradition. Such heavy stoneware jars circulated widely throughout China and Southeast Asia and were used for storing and transporting liquids, preserved foods, oils, condiments and other commodities.

The jar has a strongly potted, compact ovoid body with broad shoulders, a short neck and a substantial rolled rim. It is covered with a rich iron-brown glaze, ranging from deep chocolate and chestnut to warmer amber and ochre tones. Particularly attractive is the wonderfully irregular surface. Numerous kiln adhesions, firing scars, glaze losses and areas of exposed stoneware body give the vessel an extraordinarily archaic appearance. These irregularities are typical of traditional high-fired utilitarian ceramics and make every vessel unique.

The surface has precisely the rugged, tactile quality admired by collectors of Martaban, South Chinese trade ceramics and other Asian storage wares. From a purely aesthetic point of view, its earthy glaze, firing marks and unpretentious form also recall the celebrated rustic qualities of Japanese Tamba stoneware, although this piece is Chinese rather than Japanese.

The interior is also brown glazed. The underside is left largely untreated and shows the coarse stoneware body, firing deposits and extensive traces of the traditional kiln process.

Unlike finely decorated export porcelain, vessels of this kind were created primarily as functional ceramics. Their beauty lies in their powerful proportions, spontaneous glaze effects and the visible evidence of their manufacture and long history of use. Today, early Chinese and Southeast Asian Martaban-type jars are increasingly appreciated as sculptural objects in their own right.

The combination of the dark iron glaze, heavily textured surface and irregular firing traces gives this jar a particularly strong wabi-sabi character.

Condition

Very attractive antique condition, consistent with its considerable age.

There are historic glaze losses, firing imperfections, kiln adhesions, surface abrasions and irregularities, as clearly visible in the photographs. These features are characteristic of early utilitarian stoneware and contribute considerably to the authentic appearance and character of the piece.

The substantial rolled rim is particularly well preserved.

Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

Origin: China
Period: Qing dynasty
Date: circa late 18th–19th century
Type: Martaban-type storage / trade jar
Material: High-fired stoneware
Glaze: Iron-brown / brown glazed stoneware
Related traditions / collector terminology: Martaban jars, South Chinese storage jars, Asian trade ceramics; aesthetically comparable to rustic Tamba stoneware

Dimensions: 21 x 21 x 24 cm
Weight: 2539 grams