Tang Sancai

Timeline

1. 618–650Chang'an · ShaanxiEarly Tang inherited Sui glazed pottery techniques, decorating figurines and vessels with single- or two-color low-temperature lead glazes as burial objects in aristocratic tombs, laying groundwork for the sancai technique.
2. c. 650–680Luoyang · HenanMulti-colored lead glazes in yellow, green, and white mingled and flowed on the same object; sancai figurines of horses, camels, and foreign peoples were unearthed in large numbers, with technique and modeling reaching their peak as a representative of High Tang visual culture.
3. c. 680–700Xi'an · ShaanxiSancai continued to be used as high-status burial objects, with designs incorporating more Western Regions elements; some wares influenced glazed pottery development in surrounding regions via the Silk Road, remaining popular through the end of this century.