Chinese Ceramics

History of the Chinese Tang Tri Colour Ceramics

Tri-color Tang Pottery

Tri-colored Tang (Tangsancai) refers to the tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty (618-907A.D.), a painted earthenware which appeared in the wake of celadon. As yellow, green and white were normally used, it is called “tri-colored” although some pieces are also in two or four colors. Developed on the basis of the green and brown glazed pottery of the Han Dynasty, it represented a peak in the development of Chinese ceramics and was already well-known in the world in its time.

Usually, unearthed tri-colored Tangs are horses, camels, female figurines, dragonhead mugs and figurines of musicians. Of these, the tri-colored camels have won the greatest admiration. They are presented as bearing loads of silk or carrying musicians on their backs as if reproducing true to life images of people from Central Asia of that time as they trudged along the Silk Road with the tinkle of camel bells. The tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty was developed some 1,300 years ago. Not only it displayed the beauty of  full smoothness and colorful glaze, it present high artistic and treasure of Chinese culture.

The tri-colored Tang flourished during a rather short period of time (the 8th century) of the dynasty, when pottery pieces of this category were used by the aristocrats as funerary objects. So the finds today are limited in number and are considered to be rare treasures, valued for their brilliant color . It is joyful and delighted to own the wonderful art.

Imitations now produced in Luoyang (??), Xi’an(??) and other cities of China are well collected as decorations because of their close resemblance to the authentic works.

About the Author

Sam Chan
Chinese Ceramic Lady Figurines, Inside Painted Snuff Bottles, Chinese Collectibles, Gifts and Home Decor