A RARE CIZHOU SGRAFFIATO 'PEONY' VASE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY |

the baluster body elegantly rising from a splayed foot to a tall trumpet neck with a rolled lip, freely carved through the layer of brown slip to the ivory white layer beneath with large peony blooms borne on lush broad leaves, all above a lappet band at the base and covered overall with a transparent glaze

Sotheby's London, 13th July 2005, lot 132.

The neck of the vase is restored. There are minor glaze firing imperfections as expected of the period.
"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."

Notable for their vividly contrasting sgraffiato decoration, vases of this type are held in important museums and private collections worldwide; see one from the collection of Hirota Matsushige, now in the Tokyo National Museum, published in Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics I, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 560; another in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 115; a third in the Matsuoka Museum of Art, Tokyo, included in the Museum’s exhibition Famous Pieces of Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, Tokyo, 1983, cat. no. 23; and a further example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in John Ayers, Far Eastern Art in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1980, pl. 113. A reconstructed vase of this form and decoration was recovered at the Cizhou kiln site in Guantai, Ci County, Henan province and illustrated in The Cizhou Kiln Site at Guantai, Beijing, 1997, col. pl. 9, no. 2.