Han Dynasty, 206 BCE–220 CE
As social hierarchies emerged, higher-status families demanded objects that reflected and reinforced their social standing. One result was more elaborate pottery. Some of the new pottery pieces imitated containers made from high-status materials: beaten gold and silver, cast bronze, and lacquered wood. It is only in hindsight that we appreciate such pieces for their own sake.
The first glazed pottery appeared more than 3000 years ago, but it was rare before the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D.220). In other words, for many centuries after the invention of glazing, unglazed pieces (such as the ones shown below) continued to dominate ceramic production. In China, glazewares effectively pushed unglazed pottery out of the picture only about 1000 years ago.
Han Dynasty, 206 BCE–220 CE
Tang Dynasty, 618–907 CE
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