AN EXTREMELY RARE 'GE' BRUSHWASHER YUAN DYNASTY

finely potted, the lobed flaring sides rising from a slightly concave base to an everted rim, covered overall with a thick and lustrous soft grey glaze suffused with a matrix of dark grey and gold crackles, the base with six spur marks revealing the blackish body beneath

The washer is in very good overall condition with the exception of an 8 and a 5mm., wide glaze flake to the rim, minor glaze pitting and rubbing at the rim, fritting to the base of the footring, and minor glaze firing imperfections inclding pin-head sized burst glaze bubbles and light glaze scratches.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for any certificate from a gemological laboratory that may accompany the property. We do not guarantee that watches are in working order. 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 refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue, in particular to the Notice regarding the treatment and condition of gemstones and to the Notice regarding import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into the US.
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."

The delicate potting and glaze that thins at the rim to reveal the black body with a prominent crackled effect are characteristic of 'ge' wares produced from the Song dynasty into the Yuan period.  'Ge' is a connoisseur's term known only from post-Song texts and does not refer to a production area. It is used for ceramics similar to 'guan' wares but with a more opaque buff glaze as seen on the present washer. The crackle effect is distinctively stained black interspersed with some secondary rust-red or light-brown crackles. Nigel Wood in Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 87, notes that it appears likely that both the 'ge' and the 'guan' wares wares issued simultaneously from the same kilns showing the natural variations of atmosphere, temperature and cooling that the dragon kilns provided.

The present brushwasher in its form continues a Song dynasty vessel type produced at the official (guan) kilns located within the palace walls in the Song capital of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. It is closely related to a 'guan' washer from the Kempe collection that has been attributed to the Song period. For other examples of 'ge' washers see a smaller mallow-form Song vessel from the collection of Mrs. Alfred Clark sold in our New York rooms twice, 7th December 1983, lot 207, and again, 30th March 2006, lot 30.

A ten-lobed 'ge' washer of similarly large dimensions can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 8, 1999, pl. 9, together with a nine-lobed washer in the same collection, pl. 21.