Ewer, 8th-9th century, 9-1/4 x 7-1/2 x 7-1/2 in. (23.5 x 19.1 x 19.1 cm), Huangpu ware Stoneware with dark-brown glaze, China, 8th-9th century, This well-proportioned, globular shaped ewer stands on a solid foot. It has a short, straight spout and a handle of joined double strands that arcs between shoulder and lip. The overall effect is pleasing: a simple robust shape combined with a thick, dark uniform glaze. Such ewers made their debut in the Sui dynasty (586-618), supplanting the 'chicken-head ewers' and their descendants. Some of these vessels were used in the making of tea which, by the late Tang dynasty (618-906), had become a popular beverage. The ewers were used not for steeping tea, but as pitchers for dispersing hot water into individual tea bowls where it was whisked with dried powdered tea leaves.