A 'Henan' russet-splashed jar and cover Northern Song dynasty

the ovoid vessel with bulging shoulders rising to a short upright neck, applied overall with a rich and glossy black glaze accented with russet splashes, the glaze stopping short of the foot revealing the buff body, the domed cover covered in a thick black glaze, with a flattened everted rim below the small bud knop (2)

The vase with one large burst air bubble at the join of the shoulder and neck, with two smaller burst air bubbles at the shoulder and one small potting fault. The recessed well of the base with a significant semi-circular firing crack. The mouthrim with minor chips and the body with some glaze pull. In otherwise good condition. The shape of the cover is a somewhat uneven circle. The glaze with wear and small scratches.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A splashed black-glazed Henan jar of this globular form was sold in these rooms, 4th November 1988, lot 112, and again, in our Hong Kong rooms, 21st May 1979, lot 10. Another, from the George F. de Menasce collection, was included in the exhibition Sung Dynasty Wares. Chun and Brown Glazes, the Oriental Ceramics Society, London, 1952, cat.no. 65.

Covers of this shape were also found at the Yaozhou kiln site together with brown-splashed wares; see outline drawings of covers excavated from the Yaozhou kiln site in at Huangpu town, southwest of Tongchuan city, Shaanxi province, illustrated in Songdai Yaozhou yaozhi, Beijing, 1998, p. 431, fig. 212.12-16.