Celadon-Glazed Ewer with Brown Poetic Inscription from Changsha Kiln, Collection of Hunan Provincial Museum

A Changsha Kiln celadon-glazed ewer with brown underglaze poetic inscription 'Spring water fills the spring pond' from the Tang Dynasty, measuring 19 cm in height, 9.2 cm in mouth diameter, and 10 cm in base diameter. Ewers in the Tang Dynasty could be used for both serving wine and pouring tea. Decorating with poetry was a unique characteristic of Changsha Kiln ware. The poem on this ewer is popular and catchy, and its calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, making it a classic masterpiece from the kiln. Below the ewer's belly, brown underglaze inscribes a spring poem: 'Spring water fills the spring pond, spring grass grows in spring, spring people drink spring wine, spring birds sing spring sounds.' The poem fully recreates a scene of folk life in the Tang Dynasty: spring outings and drinking wine. Spring wine, also known as 'donglao' (frozen mash), was brewed in winter and consumed in spring, a popular seasonal brew in the Tang Dynasty. The Changsha Kiln's extensive production of wine vessels and inscription of wine poems corroborates the historical picture of commercial prosperity and flourishing urban life in the Xiangjiang River basin during the late Tang Dynasty. The Changsha Kiln pioneered the underglaze brown decoration technique, fixing poetic calligraphy beneath the porcelain glaze for permanent preservation. This not only revolutionized China's ceramic decoration system but also saw numerous artifacts exported overseas, serving as important trade evidence of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.