Len Castle, an important and rare sulphurous bowl, with…
click the photo to enlarge
Len Castle, An important and rare sulphurous bowl, with predominating matte black glaze giving way to a pool of sulphurous crackle glaze interior, 18 x 44.3 x 44.3 mm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Crackling and Crackle as a Decorative Technique - Crackle, also known as crackling, is a decorative technique that has been used in China for centuries. It is believed to have originated during the Song Dynasty (960?1279 AD) and was primarily used in the production of ceramics, lacquerware, and furniture. The crackling effect was achieved by applying a glaze or lacquer that was formulated to crack during firing, creating a crackled pattern on the surface of the item.

    During the Ming Dynasty (1368?1644 AD), crackle became a highly sought-after decorative technique, and it was used to create intricate and beautiful designs on ceramics and lacquer ware.

    In Western decorative arts, crackle / crackling came into use during the Art Nouveau movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. The crackling effect was used to create a sense of movement and fluidity in the design of Art Nouveau pieces.

    It was also used in the 1920s and 1930s during the Art Deco movement.
  • Crackles / Cracquelure - In ceramics, crackles may be introduced intentionally during the firing process, as was often the case with Oriental ceramics, and are known as artificial crackles. Natural crackles occur with age, and if the glaze is transparent, may be difficult to detect. Natural crackles may not cover the whole surface of the object and may be uneven in size.
  • Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.

    The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.

    Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important.

This item has been included into following indexes: