Ash glazing, also known as straw glazing, is the process through which the glossy finish, like the one featured on this vessel, is obtained. The technique was discovered around 1500 BC in China, during the Shang Dynasty, by accident, as ash from the burnt wood in the kiln landed on pots. Around 1000 BC, the Chinese came to the realization that the ash covering the pieces was causing the glaze, so they started intentionally adding the ash as a glaze before the pot went into the kiln for firing. This was the first glaze used in East Asia, and contained only ash, clay, and water.
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