Lot 1889
  • 1889

A RARE 'QINGBAI' 'PEONY' HANDLED CUP SONG DYNASTY

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 HKD
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Description

of shallow rounded form, applied at one side with a circular loop handle issuing from a flat everted flange, the interior intricately carved with a peony flower borne on leafy stems, covered all over in a delicate shadowy-blue glaze, the unglazed rim revealing the white body burnt russet-orange in the firing

Provenance

Sotheby's London, 12th Novemeber 2003, lot 74.

Exhibited

Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 111.

Condition

The overall condition is very good. The handle has a body line that is beneath the glaze, and the bowl has a 2 cm body line beneath the glaze visible from the exterior. The carving is crisp and the condition of the glaze is very good. The actual colour of the glaze is quite close to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Catalogue Note

It is rare to find a 'qingbai' cup of this form, its shape inspired by metal wares. Cups of this type are however, known, from the 'Yaozhou' kilns, such as the piece illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 9, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 201, in the Capital Museum, Beijing; and another illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pl. 405, or from the 'Ding' kilns, an example of which is also included in this catalogue.   

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of a thermoluminescence test, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lab D53, sample 479.