At the beginning of the 20th century, during the construction of the railway in China, valuable ceramics from the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD) were discovered, characterized by their unique glaze, which was named "Tang San Cai" or "Three Colors." These ceramics were decorated with multicolored lead glazes in green, yellow, brown, and blue. Archaeological excavations revealed that Tang San Cai ceramics included numerous human and animal figurines, vessels, whistles, and ceramic pillows found in tombs. Many examples of these ceramics are preserved in the Idemitsu Museum in Tokyo. This research aims to study and classify San Cai ceramics from the Tang dynasty in China, and to explore the reasons behind the production of these ceramics.
Additionally, it seeks to enhance the understanding of historical ceramics in Chinese civilization. In this context, the main research question is: How can the ceramics known as Tang San Cai be classified in terms of form, glaze, and production techniques? The research method is applied based on the objective and is descriptive and analytical in nature. The statistical population includes 160 pieces of San Cai ceramics from the Tang dynasty in the Idemitsu Museum, of which 46 samples will be examined using purposive sampling. The results indicate that these ceramics were colorful replicas of the deceased's possessions, created for decoration during funeral ceremonies and to equip tombs for serving the deceased in their eternal resting place. The San Cai ceramics in the museum from the Tang dynasty include human and animal figurines, tomb guardians, whistles, ceramic pillows, and everyday vessels. They are particularly characterized by low-temperature glazes containing lead, colored with metallic compounds such as iron oxide, copper, manganese, and cobalt. The production techniques for these ceramics employed methods such as molding, pottery wheel throwing, and sculpting, as well as a combination of all three methods.