AN EXTREMELY RARE 'YAOZHOU' CELADON CARVED 'FLORAL' VASE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY

well potted with an almost spherical body rising from a tapered foot to a broad rounded shoulder, surmounted by a short waisted neck and everted flat mouth-rim, boldly carved with two neatly arranged bands, the shoulder with a band of pentagons, above a frieze of hexagons encircling the lower section, each polygon enclosing a freely rendered floral spray, all between a collar of square-cut floral lappets and a border of upright pointed petals encircling the neck and foot respectively, covered overall save for the neatly pared unglazed foot with an olive-green glaze pooling to a darker tone at the recessed areas, the glaze stopping short of the unglazed foot revealing the pale grey body

It is in overall good condition except for a few firing flaws mainly to one floral spray on the shoulder. There are some typical tiny nicks to the inner footring.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present vase is an extremely rare example from the Yaozhou kiln complex located in Shaanxi province. This kiln group, named during the Song dynasty for the administrative district in which the kilns were located, came into prominence for its striking green-glazed stoneware that appealed to the aristocratic taste of the Song period. They were inspired by the Yue celadon-glazed wares from northern Zhejiang province from the Five Dynasties period (907-960) and began to be made for the Song court in the late 11th and early 12th century. From the beginning, however, the Yaozhou craftsmen developed their own techniques and designs. Although the majority of their output was devoted to the manufacture of dishes and bowls, they also created a small number of more labour-intensive, carefully and individually crafted ceramics such as the present piece. The kilns produced very few upright shapes altogether, as they were much more time-consuming to form and to decorate. They also took up much valuable kiln space, and were more likely to fail in the firing.

Only two other Yaozhou vases of related form appear to have been published, one similarly carved with floral sprays in hexagonal cartouches, from the Michel Calmann Collection, in the Musée Guimet, Paris, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition The Arts of the Song Dynasty, London, 1960, pl. 53, no. 140, and later included in the exhibition Terre de Neige, de Glace et d’Ombre: Quatorze Siècles d’Histoire de la Céramique Chinoise à Travers les Collections du Musée Guimet [Land of snow, ice and shadow: fourteen centuries of Chinese ceramic history in the collection of the Musée Guimet], National History Museum, Taipei, 1999, cat. no. 22; the other, carved with a flower scroll, sold in our London rooms, 15th June 1982, lot 249.

The floral decoration found on this vase is elaborate yet harmoniously arranged, typical of the best Yaozhou wares. The motif is expertly designed and masterfully carved, showing off the elegant shape of the vessel and the perfect celadon glaze.  Mary Tregear in Song Ceramics, London, 1982, p. 102, notes that “the craftsmen at Yaozhou come close to the potters of Ding ware in the elegant use of this decorative technique. The Yaozhou potters had an added advantage in the contrast and clarity given to the decoration by the darker body and rich green glaze that took on an even deeper hue when it formed pools in the V-shaped cuts (almost relief carving) on the pots.”

Vessels carved in a similar style, with large blooms and feathery leaves, include a ewer exhibited in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1997, cat. no. 73, together with a jar, cat. no. 74; a small jar, also in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, included in the Museum’s exhibition Celadon of Yaozhou Ware, Osaka, 1991, cat. no. 15; and a lobed bowl in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, published in Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics I, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 466.