A rare 'Yaozhou' Cupstand Northern Song Dynasty

the saucer in the form of a lotus, its six-lobed everted rim gently curved and terminating in a downturned lip, centered by the U-shaped holder pierced with three double-gourd motifs below a subtle recessed ring, all supported on a pedestal foot, covered overall in an even green glaze pooling in the recesses to a deeper tone and suffused with a fine network of crackles

The cupstand is in good overall condition, with one spot on the saucer near the cup underneath a gourd cutout and a tiny iron spot on the middle part of the saucer. There is one area of glaze pull to the underside of the saucer 3/4 inch long. The piece is slightly warped at the rim and the saucer, which is characteristic of wares of this age and adds to the idiosyncratic aesthetic quality.
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.

It is very rare to find a bowl stand of this early Yaozhou type, with this characteristic beautiful water-green glaze and white radiating ribs, which are better known from the bowls which might have been made to match. The present piece is also unusual for its pleasing gourd-shaped cut-outs.

A bowl stand with similar gourd-shaped openings but with a multi-lobed dish below is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 7, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 109; and a bowl with radiating ribs, also in the Shanghai Museum, pl. 90. Compare also an early Song fragment of a bowl stand from the Yaozhou kiln sites, with similar lobed folded-down rim, but without radiating ribs, published in Songdai Yaozhou yaozhi, Beijing, 1998, p. 178, fig. 95: 1, p. 572 top right, a,d pl. 43, fig. 2.

Pierced designs of various other forms are well-known from the Yaozhou kilns, see, for example, ibid., pl. 87, fig. 3 and pp. 327 and 329.