China, possibly Guangdong Province, Xicun, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) / 1000s
Phoenix-Headed Ewer
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Phoenix-Headed Ewer as ceramic (China, possibly Guangdong Province, Xicun, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) · 1000s).
The phoenix's beak forms a spout for pouring.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as porcelain with pale greenish-white glaze.
The museum's collection notes: Phoenix-headed ewers of this type have been unearthed at Xicun in Guangdong province. Wares with a thick and coarse body were fired in local Xicun kilns, but those with a thin and refined body—such as this piece—were likely produced at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPhoenix-Headed EwerOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.