A RARE MARBLED STONEWARE BALL NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY |

modelled in a globular form with brown and white clay marbled to produce a design of dark and light swirls, wood stand

The ball is in good overall condition with just expected light staining to the unglazed body.
"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."

The present piece is remarkable for its vibrant swirling marble effect. Wares of this type, known in Chinese as jiaotai, were a Tang dynasty innovation created by twisting and kneading together different coloured clays. While a variety of ‘marbled’ vessels from the Song dynasty survives, those in the shape of a ball such as the present lot are relatively rare. An excavated ‘marbled’ ball is included in Dong Jianli, ‘Shandong Zibo Cicun yaozhi diaocha/An Investigation of a Kiln Site at Cicun, Zibo City, Shangdong Province’, Zhongyuan wenwu/Cultural Relics of Central China, 2010, no. 3, pp. 9-13, col. pl. 4(8). For an example of vessels with regulated patterns, see a small rounded bowl dated to the Song dynasty from the Xiaogushan guan Studio collection, exhibited in Rochers de lettrés, itinéraires de l'art en Chine, Musée Guimet, Paris, 2012, cat. no. 73.