This rectangular table would have been part of a group of Ming tomb furnishings made for the ruling elite. It is covered in amber and green 'sancai' ('three-colour') glaze as well as black pigment. The custom of making ‘mingqi’ or burial wares was an ancient one. It is thought that these wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. They were also a display of wealth and social status.The practice of using lead-glazed burial wares had already started during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). This glaze technology further developed during the Tang dynasty (618-906) into ‘sancai’ (‘three-colour’) glaze. It included colours such as cream, amber, brown and blue. The glaze tradition continued into the Ming period.
