A ‘Ru Ware’ Brush Washer with Ice-Crackle Glaze

Exquisitely formed with a wide mouth, gently rounded sides and a flat interior base, this Ru ware
brush washer embodies the refined elegance of Northern Song imperial ceramics. The vessel is
covered overall in a lustrous, sky-blue glaze, described in contemporaneous sources as “the colour of
the sky after rain breaking through the clouds.” The subtle hue, enriched with agate in the glaze
mixture, reveals a soft, jade-like sheen and remarkable depth beneath the surface.
Delicate network patterns known as “ice-crackle” have developed naturally over time, produced by
the differential contraction of body and glaze, creating unique tracery resembling xie zhua wen
(crab-claw patterns) or yuzi wen (fish-egg crackling). The greyish-beige “sesame-ash” body (xianghui
tai) is smooth and fine-grained, visible only at the thinly glazed footrim. The washer was supported
on five tiny spurs during firing, leaving minute sesame-shaped marks on the base—an identifying
feature of authentic Ru ware.
Elegant in silhouette and subtle in texture, this brush washer reflects the Song aesthetic ideal of
restraint and quiet beauty. With its soft glaze, pure form, and rare preservation, it stands as an
outstanding representative of the celebrated Ru kilns—among the most treasured of all Chinese
ceramics.