This stoneware jarlet of globular form is covered with a crackled greyish-green glaze which stops short of the footrim. Such wares are referred to as ‘celadon’, a generic term for Chinese ceramics with a high-fired glaze that is coloured with small amounts of iron oxide. The finest celadons were prized for their lustrous green tone that resembles jade. However from the Yuan and Ming dynasties onwards, a yellowish tinge had crept into the glaze as the ideal firing conditions were not maintained. Export demands also meant that the priority of the kilns was on quantity and not quality. Despite the dip in quality, such wares still maintained an international reputation and were in high demand in Southeast Asia.
