The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2026

A glazed stoneware dish takes a softened rectangular shape with rounded corners. Its thick, off-white surface is etched with a network of fine brown crackles, resembling a spiderweb. The front rim sags slightly at the center, creating a subtle, downward curve. Light glints off the shallow basin, highlighting the contrast between the smooth glaze and the dark, erratic lines mapping out across the vessel's stony body.

Square Brush Washer: Guan ware

1127–1279

China, Hangchou, Suburban Altar Kiln, Southern Song dynasty

(1127-1279)
glazed stoneware
Overall: 1.2 x 6.4 cm (1/2 x 2 1/2 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1957.41
Location: Not on view
  • Kleinhenz, Henry J. “Porcelains for Imperial Use: The Sung Dynasty.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 65, no. 4 (April 1978): 135–150. Mentioned: p. 145; Reproduced: p. 150b, fig. 21, a www.jstor.org
  • Chinese Paintings: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-April 5, 1981).
  • {{cite web|title=Square Brush Washer: Guan ware|url=false|author=|year=1127–1279|access-date=23 April 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1957.41