A RARE LARGE BLUE-SPLASHED 'SANCAI' POTTERY BASIN TANG DYNASTY

carved in the center with a large floral medallion in blue, amber and cream glazes on an amber ground, accented in wax-resist arcs and stipples at the cavetto, the exterior glazed amber stopping before the flat base to show the pinkish buff ware

Acquired on the Hong Kong art market, early 1980s.
Offered at Sotheby's New York, 17th September 2003, lot 57.

The basin is in good overall condition and showed no fluorescence under UV light. The edge of the rim with 3 inches where the glaze is worn, and two very shallow chips, the largest 2/3 inch. The three circular spur marks on the interior have been repainted, and the entire interior sprayed, to blend in with the design. One tiny glaze chip on the interior. The colors are consistent with the catalogue illustration. Updated 4 March 2009
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 pair of officials featuring one modeled with foreign facial features was included in the exhibition Gems of Chinese Art, Selections of Ceramics and Bronzes from the Tsui Art Foundation, The Empress Palace Museum, Singapore, 1992, cat. no. 27. Another larger pair of official figures, discovered at the entry corridor of General An Pu's tomb, at Longmen near Luoyang, is illustrated in Robert L. Thorp, Son of Heaven: Imperial Art of China, Seattle, 1988, pp. 199-205.