A Chinese yuteki tenmoku tea bowl, Jian kilns, Fujian province, Song dynasty, the deep, rounded sides covered with a thick black glaze suffused with silvered spots, stopping in a thick line above the foot, exposing a blackish-grey body, 13cm diameter, 7.7cm highProvenance: Private American collectionNote: Bowls like this were a classic form of tea ware produced at the kilns in Jianyang. Perfect for drinking tea, with their robust structure, thick glaze (helping to protect the hands of the drinker whilst keeping the tea warm) and subtle irregular shape of the sides (encouraging the drinker to take small sips, thus appreciating the complex flavours of the tea). Cai Xiang (1012-1067), a famous calligrapher and government official of the Northern Song Dynasty noted this characteristic in Cha Lu, 'Their body is slightly thicker than normal, and retains the heat for a long time. Hence they are the most suitable.'.Yuteki translates as oil drop in Japanese, and is a sought after feature on bowls such as the present example. The effect is achieved when firing is stopped moments before different colours of iron oxide begin to streak down the side of the tea bowl.