I found this little waterdropper, 3,5 cm high, in my local antique shop. It is the same shop where I started collecting some 20 years ago. It is one of those places where stuff amassed over the years, and where it is almost hard to walk around. This little piece attracted my attention, and I bought it for a friendly price.

It is made from a light-brown pottery and is covered in a degraded brown glaze. The glaze feels rough to the touch, and look like a suffuse glaze. I immediately felt it was an early peace because the bottom shows the circular lines of being cut of the potters wheel with a cord.

 Although you don’t see many Tang waterdropper, the shape and glaze point to this early date. Similar clay and glaze is found on Tang jars and pots.

 It was used by scolars to drip water on the inkstone. And is in a lovely condition.