Perfect Form, Perfectly Spare Chinese Stoneware Ear Cup, c. 600 AD fine needlework and the sort of thing

and the sort of thing one could really dig into if deciphering is one's thing

large enough to read as a sign

with tears and rough edges here and there

this graphite drawing is one of a few more I'm listing from the same stash

and all the more of a mystery

Perfect Form, Perfectly Spare Chinese Stoneware Ear Cup, c. 600 AD fine needlework and the sort of thingTo my eye the most perfectly minimal, perfectly proportioned shallow vessel, just what it needs to be and not a thing more, this is a very old Chinese "ear cup", c 600 AD, which I purchased from a collector, dealer and friend in Maine. Chinese ear cups, or 'erbei' in Chinese, are an ancient form, functional as vessels for drinking, but more broadly embodying Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, and social customs and exquisite craftsmanship. And indeed,