Jar with four loop-ears

To produce the decoration seen on this jar, craftsmen painted fish and aquatic grass in black and brown on a layer of white slip and then coated the vessel with transparent glaze. The glaze around the base was cut off, revealing the buff color of the body. The practical shape, with such lovely drawing, was the regular production of a provincial kiln at Pengcheng in southern Hebei. The sweetness and simplicity of their painting were the hallmarks of Pengcheng potters. Of the cizhou-type, the kiln began production in the Song dynasty and continues to make utensils for everyday use even now.