Lidded jar, glazed stoneware, Yaozhou ware, China, Jin-Yuan dynasty, 13th century. Stoneware. Height: 10 cm with lid, Diameter: 15.8 cm max. Museum no.C.42-1935. © V&A Images
From the Eumorfopoulos collection, purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee 
This jar is an example of Yaozhou ware, a type of ceramic made in the Shaanxi province of China. Yaozhou wares were widely popular from the end of the Tang dynasty (618-906) through to the beginning of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368).
The glaze that gives the opaque green hue to this object is known as a celadon. Celadons are feldspathic glazes which derive their colour from the presence of iron oxide when fired in a reduction atmosphere (one with very little oxygen). While Yaozhou wares are more commonly a translucent green, this jar’s lengthy firing period allowed for faint crystals to form in the glaze, giving it a waxy appearance.
Bibliographic References: Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 58, no. 55.Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics. London: V&A Publications, 2004. p. 58, no. 55.