East Asia, China, late Ming Dynasty, ca. 17th century CE. A beautiful pair of stoneware vessels, each glazed in a dark brown, nearly black glaze known as martaban. The taller is a storage jar with a flat base and circular, flat rim that may have once been fitted with a lid to use for storage. Around the mouth are marine encrustations, undoubtably this jar was lost at sea, perhaps part of the cargo on a shipwrecked trade ship. The other is an ewer vessel, with a glossy black glaze that stops just above the foot, a narrow mouth opening, and short spout. Martaban glaze was popular throughout Southeast Asia and China for centuries and traded along maritime routes. The name likely stems from the name of the Burmese city Martaban (now Mottama), a major ship port. Size (jar): 5.5" Diameter x 8" H (14 cm x 20.3 cm); (ewer): 5.5" Diameter x 5.5" H (14 cm x 14 cm)

Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010

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#170341

Ewer is intact with only minor surface abrasions and chips. Pitting and firing imperfections. Nice craquelure to glazing. Jar has a chip to rim, surface abrasions and pitting, otherwise intact and very good. Marine encrustations on rim.