A mold (mould) is hollow container with a particular shape into which soft or liquid substances are poured, so that when the substance becomes hard it takes the shape of the container. (Cambridge Dictionary) There are two types of moulds: a two piece mould and the one piece mould. The two piece mould is the most widely used and simplest method because it enables the two halves of an object to be joined while still in their molds which makes it easier to both fix and smooth seams without warping the vessel. With this type of mould one can create ceramics which have different designs on each side. With a one piece mould the side has to be removed from the mould to be joined which makes the seams difficult to make and they usually appear crude and sloppy. With this type of mould all ceramics will have an identical design on each of the two halves.(sfu.ca/archaeology) Moulds were widely used in ceramic production in ancient civilizations. In China, particularly during the Han dynasty up through after the eleventh century, both types of moulds were used for mingqi to meet the growing demands for ceramic of various types at the time. For at least 3000 years moulds have been used in much of Central and South America for figurines, vessels and decorative pieces. The process of creating the early moulds is not known but it is believed that they were created by pressing clay around a pre-existing vessel and then dividing it into two halves. These two halves are then removed as it begins to dry.(sfu.ca/archaeology). Earthenware pipes from Thai and Burmese Hill tribes are mould made using bi valve molds and terracotta pieces from India are mould made and hand painted so each one is unique. .
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Wing or ear cups (yushang), a term that describes its side flange-like additions to its ovoid body, appeared as early as the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE) made in lacquer and later from a variety of materials. Lacquerware cups were used as dining vessels used for rituals and ceremonies contain fragrances, food or wine; and the…
Hu vessels, first made in the Shang Dynasty is an ancient-pottery wine vessel whose body swells in the middle, flares into a narrow neck and often has a raised circular foot. Very popular during the Han dynasty, it was used as an ancestral tomb burial object (mingqi) to hold liquids and elixirs for the deceased…
Mingqi are ancient earthenware pottery items usually made using a bivalve mould and covered with a lead glaze that fired to a dark green. The lead in the glaze often combined with tomb dampness for centuries creating a chemical reaction changing its coloring into a lustrous and iridescent green seen here. Han mingqi were ancestral…
Artisans in the Roman Empire created varying local styles of terracotta figurines of gods and goddesses for placement on home shrines. This figure holding a jar represents Haroprates the ancient Greek god of silence and secrets. He may be an image of a royal and temple cult since he wears a double crown that symbolized…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
Smoking tobacco has been an integral part of Northern Thailand and Burma/Myanmar Hill-Tribes culture for centuries. Unglazed mould made black earthenware clay pottery pipes like this are found buried by farmers when preparing their fields. This pipe was made in two parts, a rounded bowl on a flat-footed base and an extended stem. The bowl…
Smoking tobacco in Burma/Myanmar and Thailand has been an integral part of Southeast Asian cultures for centuries and are usually found underground by hill-tribe farmers when ploughing their fields in Northern Thailand and Burma. They usually have small chips on the bowl, body and stem and are otherwise very good condition. The bowl often has…
In China a set of earthenware Zodiac attendant figures was made as a 12 piece grouping, with each figure holding a small calendar animal with each year represented by a different animal – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig or boar – in a repeating 12-year cycle. Although…
This miniature earthenware mold made horseshoe chair is an example of mingqi, a Chinese term for an object made or burial purposes. Literally translated as, “items for the next world” or “spiritual utensils” mingqi are miniature models of items used in everyday life: furnishings, utensils, offerings, livestock, buildings, etc. made specifically for placement in tombs…
This miniature Ming Dynasty earthenware mould made horseshoe chair is an example of mingqi, a Chinese term for an object made specifically for burial purposes. Literally translated as, “items for the next world” or “spiritual utensils” mingqi are miniature models of items used in everyday life like furnishings, utensils, offerings, livestock and buildings, etc. made…
Stone reliefs or mold made earthenware brick tiles were made for ancestor worship and to decorate doors and the walls of tombs, temples and other structures from the Han Dynasty onwards. As China expanded its trade along the Silk Roads in the Song dynasty, foreign artistic influences began to be seen in the expanded use…
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