Frog-shaped whistle

Tiny toys including animal-shaped whistles were an extravagant production at most kilns during the Tang dynasty. Hand-formed, molded, or a combination of both methods, the toy shapes were glazed in monochrome and polychrome glazes, and it is impossible to recognize the method of manufacture of individual pieces. The most conspicuous feature of this piece is its bumpy, textured surface, caused by the process of molding it in a shallow relief mold and then coating it with a thick glaze—the knotty roughness shows the creamy color of the biscuit or the brown of the thinner glaze, and in deep-relief areas the thick glaze appears black.