Blue colored hopper

The name of hopper attributes to its function as a container to collect food remains and tea leaves (if small) and therefore, it is a must for the distinguished family when setting up banquets. This can be proved through the record by Yuan people “the bulged vase and hopper must be used for the table and tea table when distinguished families prepare banquet in the Song Dynasty”. Among the copper hoppers unearthed in tomb of Lv Dalin Family, a famous official in Shanxi in the Northern Song Dynasty in recent years, some white tea leaves and stuff are left, which can prove its function as mentioned above. The shape of this ware has stayed the same from the Northern Qi Dynasty to the prime Tang Dynasty. The materials include copper, porcelain, ceramics, gold and silver, etc, either with cover or without cover. This artwork was produced in the prime Tang Dynasty (the first half of 700’s). The mouth is cast away, with thin neck and oblate belly. The feet are like pies, with the corners trimmed carefully, but slightly recessed. Such originality fully embodies the everlasting pursuit of shapes and streaks by the kilnmen in Tang Dynasty. The clay mold is grayish yellow, painted with transparent glaze and dotted with irregular blue-glazed spots. With the rising temperature, the natural welting process and flow of glaze exert meaningful and thought-provoking texture effect. The tricolored hopper of similar shape collected by Meiyintang can be used for comparison and reference. 
The unique place for this ware is its blue-colored ornamentations. The tricolored porcelain wares with blue color had been attached with great importance by the previous collection experts. Acquisition of such type shall be regarded as an honor. Therefore, they spare no high price for such wares. When comparing the existing physical objects, the wares decorated with blue color are indeed rare, even rarer for the artwork of pure blue color. After searching for the public and private collections at home and abroad, the hopper decorated with pure blue color are fewer. The raw material for firing blue colored wares is cobalt oxide. According to the scientific test, the properties of cobalt content for firing Tang tricolor is high Fe and low SiO2 which is consistent with the later celadon cobalt materials. Judging from these, such materials were outsourced. Besides, in consideration of the history of popularity of firing the sophisticated cobalt blue-colored ceramics in the 800’s and 900’ in the Central Asian regions, it can be asserted that the cobalt material in Tang tricolor is from the Middle East regions. Cobalt oxide shall turn into bright blue at the temperature of over 700 degrees. Hence, after comparing the cobalt blue-colored wares and the blue-colored wares of Tang tricolor, their features are pretty similar. 

 (Picture) Hopper collected by Meiyintang Height 9.5cm