Covered Jar (lid)

This covered cylindrical jar with three animal feet is lavishly covered with a cobalt blue glaze in the exterior and an amber glaze in the interior. Of the colored lead glazes of sancai (three-color) ware, blue was preeminent and precious. Imported cobalt from Persia (Iran, Afghanistan) was used as a glaze colorant that yields a rich, brilliant blue of considerable splendor.