A YELLOW JADE BOWL MING DYNASTY

the rounded sides resting on a short footrim and rising to a gently everted rim, the mottled yellow stone with russet inclusions and patches of calcification

The calcification along the rim has caused a little fritting along the edges. The largest patch of calcification in the stone is about 1.5 cm in diameter. The overall condition is quite good.
"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."

Undecorated jade vessels in porcelain shapes probably represented the highest quality of eating and drinking utensils, of which the present piece is a good example. Both the sumptuary laws, which restricted the use of jade vessels, and passages in novels that mention the use of jade cups and bowls for drinking and eating, make it evident that jade was highly valued and used for these purposes. Compare a slightly later yellow jade bowl of similar shape but with vertical lip in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1994, pl. 29:14. See also examples of this form but of various colours; for example a spinach green version was included in the exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, and illustrated in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 40, London, 1973-75, cat. no. 435; a greenish-white example included in the exhibition Jades from China, The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, 1994, cat. no. 340; and a white bowl sold in these rooms, 29^th November 1978, lot 388.