A LARGE DARK BROWN GLAZED STONEWARE BALUSTER JAR, ANGKOR PERIOD

Khmer Empire, 12th-13th century. The baluster body supported on a stepped, splayed foot and rising to a waisted neck with a wide flanged mouth and a subtly tapering rim. The exterior decorated with raised rings and an encircling band of crisscrossed geometrical décor around the shoulder. The vessel covered overall with a lustrous dark brown glaze, which gracefully stops short above the foot, revealing the buff-colored ware beneath.

Provenance: Private collection of A. Hansen, Denmark. Mr. Hansen (b. 1955) is a retired Danish Supreme Court lawyer and lifelong collector with a deep passion for history and culture. His collecting journey began at the age of eight with stamps, encouraged by his father, and quickly developed into a serious pursuit. By 1982, his specialized collection of Greenland postal history earned international recognition. Following this success, Mr. Hansen turned his focus to fine art and antiquities, beginning with Danish art and later expanding into East and Southeast Asian artifacts after an inspiring Japanese exhibition in 1985. Over the following decades, his collection grew to include mostly ceramic artworks from Annam, Khmer, Burmese, and Thai origins, acquired through reputable collectors and auction houses.
Condition: Good condition with old wear and firing irregularities, including an obvious firing crack. Signs of weathering, crazing throughout, extensive areas with soil encrustation, because of a prolonged period of burial, scratches, and small chips around the rim and foot of the vessel.

Weight: 3,324 g
Dimensions: Height 32.6 cm

The baluster jar presented in this lot exemplifies a classic Khmer form, which, as noted by Diana Stock, developed in a continuous, linear evolution from prototypes that appeared as early as the 7th century. Originally used for pouring water, these vessels were sometimes fitted with a short spout, though they were never equipped with a handle. Its inspiration likely stems from sustained contact with the Indonesian archipelago during that period, drawing upon the form and symbolism of the Indian Purna Kalasha, a ritual vessel that, since ancient times, has served as an emblem of creation and the life-giving forces in Indian civilization. See: Diana Stock (ed.), Khmer Ceramics: 9th-14th century, Singapore, 1981, p. 23, 110, no. 57, 58.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related dark brown glazed stoneware baluster vase, Khmer Empire (present-day Cambodia or Northeast Thailand), dated 12th-13th century, 29.0 cm high, in the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, accession number 913C4, and illustrated in: Dick Richards (ed.), South-East Asian Ceramics: Thai, Vietnamese, and Khmer from the Collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia, 1995, p.166, no. 127. Compare a closely related dark brown glazed stoneware baluster vase, Khmer Empire (present-day Cambodia), Angkor period, dated 12th century, 35.0 cm high, in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, accession number 254.1981.