A FINE MOULDED 'DINGYAO' BOWL NORTHERN SONG/ JIN DYNASTY,12TH CENTURY

of conical form with flat base inside and a short narrow foot, the rim with six faint indentations, the interior moulded in relief with a small camellia spray in the centre and a camellia scroll round the sides with four blooms among fancifully entwined curling foliage, all rendered with broad outlines and fine details and enclosed by a thin line below the rim, the exterior undecorated, the white body covered with an ivory-tinged glaze, the rim bound in copper



in Chinese box with black silk lining and inner cover, within Japanese ribbon-tied black-lacquered outer box and cover, brown cotton furoshiki

Reach Family Collection.
Eskenazi Ltd, London.

Chinese Art from the Reach Family Collection, Eskenazi Ltd, London, 1989, cat. no. 17.

This finely moulded bowl is in very good condition with only minor glaze firing imperfections including tiny iron-spot impurities and a 3mm., long glaze pull just below the rim.
"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."

The moulded decoration of this bowl shows a dramatic, well-composed design that has been done with particular care and is otherwise rarely seen. It is very unusual to find a floral design on 'Ding' ware to be done in this elaborate style, with distinct double outlines and fine veining, and it is rare for such designs to fully cover the sides without additional rim border.

 

A very similar bowl from the Qing court collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty, Beijing, 1996, vol. 1, pl. 51; one in the National Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the Museum's exhibition Dingyao bai ci tezhan tulu/Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ting Ware White Porcelain, Taibei, 1987, cat. no. 53; and another from the collection of Mr and Mrs Eugene Bernat was sold in our New York rooms, 7 November 1980, lot 98.