Perfect Form, Perfectly Spare Chinese Stoneware Ear Cup, c. 600 AD fine needlework I sure do love religious

I sure do love religious icons of all sorts

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

both painted on waxed canvas stretched over solid wood panel

7 3/8 x 5 11/16 in (18

Table measures 5" t x 3 9/16" x 3 3/16"

Perfect Form, Perfectly Spare Chinese Stoneware Ear Cup, c. 600 AD fine needlework I sure do love religiousTo 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,