A PAIR OF 'YAOZHOU' CELADON-GLAZED DISHES NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY

each with shallow lobed sides rising from a short foot, freely carved to the interior with a central medallion enclosing a duck swimming amid stylized waves, framed by a band of combed waves, the exterior with abstract floral sprays, all beneath a lustrous olive-green glaze (2)

One dish with an approx. 1 cm wide bruise to the foot. The other with an approx. 0.7 cm wide shallow chip to the inner foot rim and 0.3 cm wide flake chip to the outer foot wall. Otherwise, both dishes are in overall good condition with some expected wear to the surface and minor firing imperfections. The surface has been cleaned and polished.
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.

See a closely related dish illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pl. 414, together with a bowl of the same design, pl. 413. Compare also three Yaozhou bowls with the similar design, one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 105, and two illustrated in Jan Wirgin, 'Sung Ceramic Designs', Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, no. 42, Stockholm, 1970, pls 8c and 8f.