The three-colour glazed pottery tradition of Tang-dynasty China is called sancai.
The name sancai means “three colours,” referring to the characteristic use of lead glazes in yellow, green, and brown or amber. The palette was not limited to exactly three colours, but those tones dominate surviving examples. Sancai was used for vessels, horses, camels, guardian figures, musicians, and other tomb objects.
The tradition flourished during the Tang dynasty, especially in the eighth century. Its vivid decoration reflects the cosmopolitan culture of Tang China, when objects and artistic ideas moved along the Silk Roads. Many sancai figures were made as mingqi, or burial goods, intended to accompany the dead in the afterlife.
Sancai is sometimes confused with porcelain, but most Tang sancai objects are low-fired glazed earthenware rather than true porcelain. Later Chinese potters revived sancai techniques in different periods and regional styles.