Small Wide Mouthed Jar, 12th-13th century, 4-3/8 x 5-5/16 x 5-5/16 in. (11.1 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm), Chi-chou ware Stoneware with dark-brown glaze with buff markings, China, 12th-13th century, This type of rounded container with high set shoulders, short neck, and rolled lip is gernerally referred to as a guan. The dark-brown glaze covers most of the exterior of the jar and the interior of the lip. A beautifully, abstract pattern of long, energetically brushed lines enlivens the exterior surface. These brush strokes appear buff where opaque and medium-brown where transparent. The method used to create this glaze effects remain uncertain. A resist material may have been used or a paste composed of wood ash, water, and slip was brushed on the raw surface to create the abstract design before dipping in the brown glaze. This jar is from the Qizhou kilns at Yonghe, Qian, Jiangxi province.