唐三彩在沈寂了幾十年後，終於逐漸被中國的藏家所理解。作為大唐帝國審美的代名詞，唐三彩在20世紀初因鐵路修建而偶然出土，被世人所知。
隨後，以東方陶瓷學會創始人兼會長喬治·尤摩弗帕勒斯（George Eumorfopoulos）為代表的先驅收藏家開始向世界推廣中國的審美，其收藏的代表作劉庭訓墓的一組三彩馬、駱駝，至今仍陳列在大英博物館，成為三彩收藏原點的標誌。
中國藝術的收藏在西方經過半個多世紀的接力，在日本藏家80年代衝擊巔峰之後，逐漸回落。中國收藏家在90年代後開始崛起之時，這種斷層已經顯現。經過40多年的審美重建，考古發現認知，唐三彩終於第一次開始在中國人自己的心中生根發芽。
小件的迷你三彩，有些是玩具，有些是訂製的陳設精品。這兩件大都會早期的收藏，來自Rogers Fund，分別是1918、1930年入藏，是唐三彩早期作為西方的中國審美使者的例證。其中三彩小砵這種精美器型，更是有日本茶人當作茶入使用，可能是因為其造型與可以換一座城的唐物茄子茶入相似吧？
Title: Miniature alms bowl
Period: Tang dynasty (618–907)
Date: 8th century
Culture: China
Medium: Earthenware with polychrome glaze (Sancai ware)
Dimensions: H. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); W. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); Diam. of rim 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1918
Object Number: 18.57.5
Provenance
Wong Yua Shi , until 1918 (his sale, Anderson Galleries, New York, March 13– 16, to MMA)
關於唐物茄子茶入，可以參考經歷信長、秀吉、家康的唐物茄子：松本茄子、付藻茄子。SACA學會曾發文探討：
After lying dormant for several decades, Tang Sancai pottery has finally begun to gain recognition among Chinese collectors. As a hallmark of the aesthetic sensibilities of the Tang Empire, Tang Sancai became known to the world in the early 20th century, thanks to serendipitous discoveries during railway construction.
Pioneering collectors such as George Eumorfopoulos, founder and president of the Oriental Ceramic Society, played a crucial role in introducing Chinese aesthetics to the world. His collection, including a group of Sancai-glazed horses and camels from the tomb of Liu Tingxun, remains on display at the British Museum and is considered a cornerstone of Tang Sancai appreciation in the West.
For over half a century, the collection of Chinese art in the West progressed steadily, peaking with the enthusiastic acquisitions of Japanese collectors in the 1980s before gradually declining. By the 1990s, as Chinese collectors began to emerge on the global stage, a noticeable gap had formed in the continuity of appreciation for Tang Sancai. After more than 40 years of aesthetic reconstruction and archaeological research, Tang Sancai is finally taking root in the hearts of Chinese people.
Miniature Sancai pieces, often crafted as toys or bespoke decorative items, serve as fascinating examples of this art form. Two such pieces in the early collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1918 and 1930, illustrate how Tang Sancai served as a cultural ambassador for Chinese aesthetics in the West. One example, a finely crafted Sancai-glazed small jar, was even repurposed by Japanese tea practitioners as a chaire (tea caddy), likely because its shape resembled the highly prized Karamono tea caddies that were said to be worth an entire city.
Title: Jar
Period: Tang dynasty (618–907)
Date: 8th century
Culture: China
Medium: Earthenware with three color (sancai) glaze
Dimensions: H. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930
Object Number: 30.76.64
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