An extremely rare 'Yaozhou' carved truncated globular vase (Tuluping) Northern Song dynasty

well-potted and carved with two long-necked birds on opposing sides, set between a pair of large peony blossoms atop lush lappets, the remaining space filled with crisply incised and finely combed trefoil leaves borne on an undulating scrolling stem, all above an abbreviated lappet band, the scalloped collar enclosing two shallow ridges, rising to a narrow short neck and everted rounded mouth rim, covered overall in a deep olive-green glaze enhancing the depth of the carving, pooling thickly at the foot, the flat base left unglazed revealing the fine gray ware spotted brown and with an orange border from the firing

This meiping was reconstructed from six large pieces, all original but for a 5 cm section to the mouthrim rebuilt. The carving is very crisp and lively. There is good wear to the glaze. Inspected under UV light. The color is slightly more gray-green than the catalogue image suggests.
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.

The present vase is an extremely rare example of vessels of this form manufactured in the 'Yaozhou' kiln complex located in Shaanxi province. The 'Yaozhou' kiln complex, so 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. 'Yaozhou' wares, inspired by the 'Yue' celadon-glazed wares from northern Zhejiang province from the Five Dynasties period (907-960), began to be made for the Song court in the late 11th and early 12th century. 

Only two other 'Yaozhou' vases of this type, both with slightly more angled shoulders, decorated with carved scrolling peony and overlapping petal design, appear to have survived; one, formerly in the Ataka Collection and now in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, illustrated in numerous publications including Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, col. pl. 48, and Yaozhou Kiln, Xi'an, 1992, p.69; and the other in the Idemitsu collection published in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 91.

The peony scroll decoration found on these three vases 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'.

The motif of a large sprig of flowering peony, as seen on this vase, can be found on 'Yaozhou' bowls and dishes; for example see a bowl sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 687; and a deep dish, the inside molded with two stems of peony with the blooms and leaves bearing incised detail, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. Three (II), London, 2006, pl. 1491. Compare also a pear-shaped 'Yaozhou' vase carved with the peony scroll design published in Yaozhou Kiln, op.cit., p. 73, together with a meiping also with this pattern, p. 67.  

The form of this vase, often referred to as 'truncated meiping', is better known from contemporary 'Cizhou' wares, indicating a level of artistic exchange between potters from different kilns and manufacturing traditions. See two 'Cizhou' meiping of this shape included in the exhibition Freedom of Clay and Brush through Seven Centuries in Northern China: Tz'u-chou Type Wares, 960-1600 AD, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, 1980, cat.no. 87-88, one from the Kyusei Hakone Art Museum and now the MOA Art Museum, Shizuoka, and the other in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City.