sancai ware
Quick Summary
Sancai ware, meaning "three-color," is a type of Chinese pottery characterized by its use of low-fired lead glazes in colors such as green, yellow, and brown. This distinctive pottery developed in northern China during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE).1
Sancai wares were often used for tomb figurines and vessels, with vibrant colors allowed to mix and flow naturally over the robust shapes. While the term "sancai" specifically refers to three-color glazes, the palette could sometimes include other hues like blue. This style was also produced during the Ming dynasty and later. The production of sancai ware saw a decline in quality and quantity after the mid-8th century.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
potteryProvincial and export wares…tile kilns also manufactured “three-coloured” (sancai) wares, perhaps originally a product of the Cizhou kilns. These were decorated with coloured glazes that were often kept from intermingling by threads of clay (cloisonné technique) or were used in conjunction with the pierced technique (fahua). Others have engraved designs under the…
Read More…tile kilns also manufactured “three-coloured” (sancai) wares, perhaps originally a product of the Cizhou kilns. These were decorated with coloured glazes that were often kept from intermingling by threads of clay (cloisonné technique) or were used in conjunction with the pierced technique (fahua). Others have engraved designs under the…
Read More
Chinese potteryThe Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties…province, also developed “three-colour” (sancai) pottery wares and figurines that were slipped and covered with a low-fired lead glaze tinted with copper or ferrous oxide in green, yellow, brown, and sometimes blue; the bright colours were allowed to mix or run naturally over the robust contour of these vessels,…
Read More…province, also developed “three-colour” (sancai) pottery wares and figurines that were slipped and covered with a low-fired lead glaze tinted with copper or ferrous oxide in green, yellow, brown, and sometimes blue; the bright colours were allowed to mix or run naturally over the robust contour of these vessels,…
Read More- Chinese potteryThe Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
…Ming pottery types are the sancai (“three-colour”) wares, chiefly vases and jars decorated with floral motifs in turquoise, purple, yellow, and deep violet blue, the colours separated by raised lines in imitation of the metal strips used in cloisonné work (see below). This robust ware was made in several centres,…
Read More…Ming pottery types are the sancai (“three-colour”) wares, chiefly vases and jars decorated with floral motifs in turquoise, purple, yellow, and deep violet blue, the colours separated by raised lines in imitation of the metal strips used in cloisonné work (see below). This robust ware was made in several centres,…
Read More