A ‘DING’ CARVED ‘DAYLILY’ DISH NORTHERN SONG – JIN DYNASTY

exquisitely potted with delicate flaring sides rising from a flat base, the interior delicately incised with a single daylily borne on a curled stem with scrolling leaves, covered overall save for the rim with a transparent glaze over the off-white paste

The dish is in overall good condition, except for an approx. 1.3 cm shallow refilled chip to the mouthrim at 2 o'clock, as well as some expected surface scratches.
"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."

Incised with a single daylily among scrolling leaves, the present dish represents a superb and spirited example of its type, demonstrating the excellent carving skill of the artisan. Originating in the late Northern Song dynasty, this attractive design of a daylily became popular in the early Jin dynasty and was often found on excavated pieces from Jin dynasty cellars and tombs. Similar examples were also unearthed from the Ding kiln site in Hebei, such as a dish of similar decoration but straight flaring sides, attributed to the Jin dynasty, preserved in Hebei Institute of Cultural Relics. It was exhibited in Selection of Ding Ware: the Palace Museum’s Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2012, cat. no. 105, together with another example from the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, which is mounted with a metal rim and featured with slender petals, cat. no. 104. Several dishes of comparable shape and decoration from the Qing court collection are preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei. They are also mounted with metal rims and attributed to the Jin dynasty, included in Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou: White Ding wares from the collection of the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. nos. II 47-52.

Superbly potted with flaring sides rising on a flat base, the present dish follows one of the classic forms of Ding wares, which was popular in the northern area. The earliest recorded example of this form was excavated from the tomb site of Ding Wen in Beijing, dated to the 3rd year of the Tianqing period in the Liao dynasty (corresponding to 1113; Liu Miao, ‘Jindai dingyao ciqi de chubu yanjiu [Preliminary study of Ding wares from the Jin dynasty]’, Wenwu chunqiu [the cultural relics of the Spring and Autumn period], no. 2, 2006, pp. 11-12). Flat-based Ding dishes also exist in brown-glazed foliate form without a carved design; see for example a dish with a metal rim in the Palace Museum, Beijing, exhibited in Selection of Ding Ware, op. cit., cat. no. 89.