A BROWN-SPLASHED BLACK-GLAZED VASE (MEIPING) NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY |

the ovoid baluster body rising from a countersunk base to a broad sloping shoulder surmounted by a tall flaring neck and everted mouth rim, applied overall with a glossy brownish-black glaze liberally flecked with small irregular russet 'partridge-feather' mottles concentrated at the shoulder and extending down the body, the glaze thinning to a pale mushroom color along the rim, stopping irregularly above the foot to reveal the pale buff-colored body, Japanese wood box (3)

Collection of Dr. Winifred Gray Whitman (1901-1993).
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 30th May 1973, lot 318.
Rare Art, New York. 

Restoration to apprx. 1/3 of the rim with some overspray, possibly to conceal a chip. Overall with minor wear to the glaze and foot.
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.

This vase is remarkable for the captivating pattern of small irregular splashes covering its shoulders, creating a dramatic contrast against the lustrous black glaze. While black-glazed wares were made in large quantities in most kilns in northern China, the elegant form and delicate russet splashes on this piece are comparable to some of the finest examples of this type. The spontaneous splashes applied on this piece are often referred to as ‘partridge-feather mottles’, or zhegu ban, a term mentioned in various texts from the mid-10th century onwards. In the catalogue for the exhibition Hare’s Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers. Chinese Brown- and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 1995, p. 139, Robert Mowry notes that these irregular splashes were probably inspired by black-glazed wares with fine splashes made at Ding and Cizhou-type kilns. Compare for example a Ding conical bowl, from the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, included in ibid., cat. no. 16.

A closely related vase in the British Museum, London, is published in R.L. Hobson, A Guide to the Pottery & Porcelain of the Far East, London, 1924, pl. 32; another in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 1940.51; and one of more elongated form, in the Art Institute of Chicago, included in Hare’s Fur, Tortoise Shell, and Partridge Feathers, op cit., cat. no. 35. See also a jar of this form but with a pattern of russet florets, from the Yang De Tang Collection, sold in these rooms, 17th March 2015, pl. 77.