A 'LONGQUAN' CELADON 'LOTUS' BOWL SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

well potted, the gently rounded flaring sides rising to an incurved rim, the exterior carved with a band of tall lotus petals, covered overall with a thick kinuta bluish-green celadon glaze, stopping neatly around the footring to reveal the stoneware burnt brownish-orange in the firing, Japanese wood box (3)

There is a narrow, tapering crack from the rim through the base, which branches at the well and extends partially up the interior of the opposite side in two fine lines. The glaze has scattered minor flaws, and 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.

The distinctive form of this bowl was inspired by Middle Eastern pottery and metalwork. See Margaret Medley, Metalwork and Chinese Ceramics, London, 1972, pls 15a and b, illustrating a 12th-13th century Persian bronze bowl alongside a Longquan bowl of corresponding form. 

Compare a similar bowl from the collection of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, included in the exhibition Céladons. Grès des musées de la province du Zhejiang, Chine, Musée Cernuschi, Paris, 2005, cat. no. 77.