Tea bowl
Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)
Stoneware, temmoku glaze

In the 8th century the Tang empire began breaking up and the Song (Sung) Dynasty was founded. Despite upheavals and instability the arts flourished. Ceramics reached what many have come to regard as the high point of perfection. The earliest true porcelains were made at this time.

The period was also famed for ‘temmoku’ glazes — rich reds and red-browns. The word is a Japanese interpretation of the Chinese, because legend has it that Japanese Buddhist monks took bowls back to Japan where they became favoured for tea ceremonies.