Craft:Chinese traditional handicraft with thousands of years history

Origin:Luoyang

Tang San Cai, also called Tricolor Glazed Pottery and a gem of ancient Chinese art, is a kind of handmade glazed ware of exquisite craftsmanship created in the Northern and Southern Dynasty (386-589) about 1,400 years ago. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the production of Tang San Cai reached its peak, which is part of the reason the pottery got the name of Tang San Cai.

Luoyang, named the eastern capital in ancient times, in Henan Province was the home of Tang San Cai, and most of unearthed Tang San Cai was found in Luoyang.

Tang San Cai is a polychrome handicraft with yellow, green, and white as its major tones. It is fired with lead glaze and presents a harmonious complex of varied colors, deep and light. The process is complicated: first, bake the ready mode in kilns until the temperature reaches 1,100oC, then take it out and apply glaze on it; bake it again in kilns at a temperature of about 900¡ãC.

Tang San Cai items that have been unearthed include horses, humans, and even pillows, and camels, of which the pottery camel is one of the best. Its head rises high, as if telling stories about merchant caravans along the Silk Road in the remote past and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

Being the gem of ancient Chinese art, Tang San Cai absorbed the advantages of Chinese painting, sculpture and stone carving. It features fleshy figures, regular and exquisite technics, compact carving traces, and smooth lines, indicating the high-level of the craft reached in the Tang Dynasty. Tang San Cai is primaryly divided into pottery tomb-figures and daily commodities.

After the founding of new China, specialized institutions have been set up to study the technics of making Tang San Cai, which has boosted the development of the craft.

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Rich Artistic Connotation & Historical Background:

The artwork is a classical Chinese-style Tang tri-coloured bird, which showcases the exquisite craftsmanship and rich cultural significance of ancient Chinese art.

Tang tri-coloured pottery is a unique ceramic technique that originated during the Tang Dynasty, renowned for its vibrant colours and intricate patterns.

This bird statue employs the techniques of Tang tri-coloured pottery, featuring vivid colours and lifelike imagery.

Its wings are spread as if ready to take flight at any moment, giving off a sense of freedom and vitality.

In this artwork, we can observe numerous details that embody the essence of ancient Chinese culture.

For instance, the bird's feathers exhibit a rich sense of depth, a common representation in Tang tri-coloured pottery.

Additionally, the bird's eyes and beak are meticulously depicted, demonstrating the artist's attention to detail and love for nature.

Historically, Tang tri-coloured pottery serves as an integral component of ancient Chinese ceramic art, bearing witness to the changes and development of Chinese history.

It is not merely an ornamental item but also a cultural symbol, representing the ancient Chinese people's yearning for and pursuit of a better life.

By appreciating this artwork, we can gain a deeper understanding of the unique charm and rich cultural heritage of ancient China.