Fine tea-dust glazed porcelains are particularly associated with the Qing dynasty reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors, and it is of interest to note that, like those vessels with robin’s-egg glaze, tea-dust porcelains usually bear seal-script marks in both the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. The fine tea-dust glazes of the 18th century are linked to the most famous and revered of all the supervisors of the imperial kilns, Tang Ying (1682-1756). Tang Ying’s document ‘Commemorative Stele on Ceramic Production’ from 1735 provides information on some 57 types of porcelain ware, including 40 monochrome glazes. Amongst these there is reference to ‘copy workshop glaze’ fang changguan, i.e. tea-dust, and a listing of three variants: eel-skin yellow, snake-skin green, and speckled yellow. It is interesting that these are called fang or copies, since it suggests that the kilns were specifically copying an ancient glaze, most probably a Tang or Song dynasty original tea-dust glaze from north China.

Two similar teadust-glazed vases from The Art Institute of Chicago sold at Christie’s New York, 12 September 2019, lot 747 and lot 755.