A fine and rare 'ding' persimmon-glazed bowl Northern Song dynasty

of conical form with wide flaring sides rising from a short foot, covered overall in a persimmon-red glaze, thinning at the rim to a lighter tone, the knife-pared foot left unglazed revealing the fine buff ware

Apart from a minor original potting scratch to the glaze on the underside, the overall condition is quite good. The patina is dry, but waxing the surface can easily improve the luster.
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 similar bowl can be found in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. I, Tokyo, 1988, cat.no. 368; and a related russet 'Ding' bowl of lobed conical form in the Chang Foundation, Taipei, is illustrated in James Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl. 28; and another in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., published in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Greatest Collections, vol. 9, Tokyo, 1981, no. 62. 

It is also interesting to compare a persimmon-glazed bowl from the Scheinman collection, of very similar form but with the more common darker stoneware body used by other northern kilns, included in the exhibition, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown-and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, Mass., 1995, cat.no. 20, where it is attributed to the 'Yaozhou' kilns located at Huangpuzhen, Tongchan, in Shaanxi province.  The exhibition also included three 'Ding' bowls of conical form from the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, with persimmon-colored, splashed black and tea-dust brown glazes, respectively, ibid., cat.nos. 15, 16 and 18.

Compare also two closely related bowls sold in our London rooms, one from the Muwen Tang collection sold 12th November 2003, lot 9, and one sold 13th November 2002, lot 84; as well as similar bowls sold in these rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 22, and 30th November 1990, lot 224.