Luoyang Tang Tri-Color Pottery

Basic Introduction to Luoyang Tang Tri-Color Pottery

Tang Tri-Color Pottery is an artistic essence of the Tang Dynasty in China, with a history of over 1,000 years. The term “Tang Tri-Color” refers to the glaze colors used on Tang Dynasty figurines and pottery. During the Tang period, red, green, and yellow were predominantly used, hence the name “Tang Tri-Color.” However, “tri-color” is a general term that does not limit the palette to just three colors; besides red, green, and yellow, there are also white, black, blue, purple, and others. Most of these artistic treasures were unearthed in Luoyang, hence the name “Luoyang Tang Tri-Color.”

Product Characteristics

Tang Tri-Color Pottery was mainly used as burial objects, including figurines and daily utensils. Figurines primarily include human and animal figures. Human figurines cover a wide range of subjects, such as women, civil officials, warriors, celestial kings, and tomb guardians. These figurines are both vivid and lifelike, capturing the unique character and features of each subject. For example, noblewomen have round faces and plump muscles, with various hairstyles and colorful clothing. Civil officials are depicted as courteous, while warriors are brave and handsome. Foreign figurines have high noses and deep-set eyes, and celestial kings have fierce expressions. To enhance the realism of these figurines, the “open-faced” technique was employed: heads were left unglazed but painted with white powder, cheeks and lips were tinted red, and eyes, eyelashes, beards, headdresses, or floral decorations were drawn using ink or colored pigments.

Tang Tri-Color female figurines are based on real-life Tang Dynasty women. They include standing, sitting, dancing, singing, horse-riding, and dressing figurines, emphasizing the free postures, full faces, delicate skin, dexterous hands, and soft feet of Tang women. These figurines showcase the diverse makeup and hairstyles popular during the Tang Dynasty, such as single high buns, twin buns, drooping buns, two-tailed buns, knife buns, treasure buns, cone buns, snail buns, parrot buns, etc. Their attire is simple yet vibrant, often featuring narrow-sleeved blouses with exposed chests, tied with sashes and adorned with various necklines, reflecting the fashion trends of the time and showcasing the spirit of Tang women. The figures transition from early elegance to later fullness, with the reign of Emperor Zhongzong serving as a turning point.

Civil official figurines represent the image of Tang Dynasty officials who enjoyed a high social status and comfortable living conditions. Despite their elegant and dignified appearance, the officials' inner anxiety is evident. Warrior figurines depict young soldiers in various poses, such as standing or riding horses and shooting arrows, mostly representing the early Tang period. During Empress Wu Zetian's reign, Buddhist-style celestial king figurines appeared. During the reigns of Wu Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong, both warrior and celestial king figurines were present, but after that, only celestial king figurines remained.

Tomb guardians originated from ancient legends about mountain spirits with the power to repel evil. In the early Tang period, they were modeled with human bodies and hooved feet; under Empress Wu Zetian, they took on beastly forms with bird wings and hooves, either with beast or human faces. Their eerie and terrifying appearance, combined with the colorful glazes, creates a chilling effect in the context of tombs.

The Tang Tri-Color pottery also includes foreigner, music-dance, and acrobat figurines, which vividly depict the diverse and rich lives of the Tang people. They reflect friendly interactions between ethnic groups in the central plains and border regions, as well as frequent exchanges between China and other countries during the prosperous Tang era.

Historical Folklore

A treasure of Chinese ancient ceramic art, Tang Tri-Color Pottery originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and flourished during the Tang Dynasty, with Luoyang being the main production center. Tang Tri-Color Pottery is a general term for Tang Dynasty low-temperature polychrome glazed pottery, where yellow, green, white, or yellow, green, blue, brown, black, and other basic glazes are simultaneously applied to the same object, creating a rich and colorful aesthetic effect. “Tri-color” is a general term for multiple colors, not limited to just three. The Tang Dynasty was a period of prosperity and cultural blossoming in Chinese feudal society. Tang Tri-Color Pottery is renowned for its vivid and realistic shapes, bright colors, and lively spirit. The village of Wulong in Kaodian Town, Yanshi City, is famous for its unique stone, located about ten kilometers east of the world-renowned Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, beneath Mount Wanan. This town was named after the famous Song Dynasty chancellor Kou Zhun staying here. The stone, known as the “peony stone,” formed during geological movements 1.5 billion years ago when crystalline intermediate-basic volcanic rocks mixed with other magma flows. The stone's base material is similar in hardness to marble, while the scattered or clustered crystals within it have the quality and hardness of jade. Over time, the peony stone has absorbed the essence of nature, blending poetic beauty and grace, becoming a rare gem among stones.

Manufacturing Methods

First, selection and processing of the clay body:

Most Tang Tri-Color pottery excavated in Luoyang is made from relatively pure kaolin, which is abundant in the area around Luoyang. This type of soil is fine-grained and highly plastic, making it ideal for forming various types of pottery without cracking or deformation. The selected raw materials undergo a series of processes such as screening, pounding, grinding, washing, settling, kneading, shaping, and aging before being transformed into clay ready for use. From the examination of the excavated artifacts, it can be seen that the Tang craftsmen did not choose the clay very carefully, as the clay contained quartz particles and other mineral impurities.

There are three common methods of forming Tang Tri-Color pottery: sculpting, molding, and wheel throwing. Often, more than one method is used to create a single object. The craftsmen first design and then sculpt the clay using specialized tools, refining the shape through repeated modifications until the final form is achieved. Molding involves dividing the sculpted piece and creating molds. Simple shapes require fewer molds, sometimes just one or two, while complex shapes like celestial kings, tomb guardians, horses, and architectural models need many molds. For irregular parts, additional molds are required, so these complex shapes may require up to a dozen molds. There are single molds for decorative attachments like appliques and relief sculptures on vessels, and composite molds for characters, animals, and some daily utensils, which are made by pressing two halves together. After kneading and aging the clay, the craftsmen place it in the mold, press it to the desired thickness (which varies depending on the size of the object), and then join the molds using clay slip. Once the clay inside the mold has gained sufficient strength, it is removed, assembled, and trimmed with special tools. Fingers are used to smooth the seams, and brushes or sponges dipped in water are used for finishing touches. Skilled craftsmen can ensure that the clay body is uniformly thick and seamlessly joined, appearing as a single piece. Wheel throwing is suitable for round objects such as cups, plates, bowls, saucers, beans, bottles, stoves, pots, and other daily items. Some flat, oval, or irregularly shaped objects are also made using composite molds.

A formed object must thoroughly dry before it is fired to avoid deformation and cracking during the high-temperature firing process. Tang Tri-Color pottery typically requires two firings: the first at around 1,000°C to 1,100°C to harden the clay body, followed by glazing and a second firing at 800°C to 900°C, during which the glazes melt and blend, creating a brilliant array of colors.

There are two common methods for applying glazes to Tang Tri-Color pottery:

The sectional glazing method involves applying different glazes to different areas of the object, combining several glazes on a single piece. The interaction and blending of glazes produce a new and unique effect. The splashing glazing method uses a brush to apply dots or lines of varying sizes, shapes, and consistency to specific areas of the object. These dots may be arranged neatly or randomly. When subjected to high temperatures, the glazes flow and blend, creating fantastical patterns that are both abstract and realistic, resembling