A RARE CARVED 'YAOZHOU' 'PEONY' VASE SONG DYNASTY |

the teardrop-shaped body set over a low foot and rising to a narrow, waisted neck broadening toward the rim, freely carved all around with a long peony stem undulating around the body and issuing slender shoots of new growth coiling up the neck, clusters of curling leaves peeling from each branch and framing resplendent blossoms of various sizes, fine-combed incisions delicately detailing the leaves and petals, all above a double band of upright petals, covered overall in a translucent olive-green glaze suffused with craquelure

The upper section of the neck (the top 5cm or less) has been rebuilt, with associated spray extending to the shoulder.
"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 striking for its elegant proportions and the lively calligraphic gestures of its lines. It belongs to a small group of carved 'peony' bottle vases produced at the Yaozhou kilns in the Northern Song dynasty. Vases of this type include a nearly identical example in the collection of the MOA Museum of Art, Atami, Japan, published in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1997, cat. no. 35; a closely related example but with a double band of stylized petals at the neck sold in our London rooms, 11th May 2011, lot 2; a second vase of that design sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 6th April 2015, lot 147; a slightly larger example set on a spreading foot is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, coll. no. C810-1936; and another of that form is in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., acc. no. F.1919.90.