Lot 20
Attributed Chinese Green-Glazed Pottery Hu Jar, Han Dynasty
Estimate$1,200–$2,500
Offered in A Lifetime of Discovery III · Sunday, November 1, 2026, To be announced
A substantial green-glazed pottery hu jar attributed to the Han Dynasty, 206 BCE-220 CE. The heavily potted vessel has a broad ovoid body, short cylindrical neck, thick rolled rim and a pair of small loop handles applied at the shoulder, reflecting forms derived from contemporary bronze vessels.
Covered in a deep green lead-type glaze with extensive age-related surface alteration, fine crazing, pitting, losses and areas of whitish to silvery iridescent weathering. The glaze has worn through in numerous areas to reveal a coarse reddish-orange earthenware body beneath.
The interior and underside remain largely unglazed, exposing the dense earthenware fabric and heavy wheel-made construction. The weathered surface, packed deposits around the handles and rim, and extensive glaze degradation are consistent with prolonged age and burial-related deterioration.
Attribution and dating are based on form, materials, glaze, construction and visible surface characteristics; the vessel has not been scientifically tested for age.
- Size
- approximately 10 in. high.
- Provenance
- Property from an important private collection, assembled by a dealer and collector over more than six decades.
- Condition
- Extensive age-related glaze loss, crazing, pitting, surface wear, abrasions and mineral accretion, with exposed areas of the underlying earthenware body. Wear and losses to the loop handles, rim and lower body, with substantial weathering and deposits to the unglazed base and interior. Please refer to photographs.
Estimates are opinions of value, given as a guide.