北宋 / 金 磁州窰黑釉鐵鏽斑紋笠式盌

the conical form rising from a short straight foot, the interior covered with a glossy black-brown glaze, thinning to a caramel-brown at the rim and liberally applied with russet 'partridge feather' streaks, the exterior with a russet glaze stopping neatly above the unglazed foot ring to reveal the buff gray body, Japanese wood box (3)

購於東京，1987年

In good general condition, with exception of two consecutive small chips to the outer rim, each measuring approximately 0.3 cm. There are scattered chips to the foot, the largest measuring 0.6 cm. The bowl with very light wear to the surface and with expected minor firing imperfections, including a 0.15 cm burst glaze bubble beneath the rim and a 1.6 cm glaze gap to the exterior.
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 present bowl belongs to a group of Northern blackwares of Cizhou type with distinctive russet-brown streaks to the glaze, reminiscent of the markings on partridge feathers. Compare two bowls of similar glaze and form included in the exhibition Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers. Chinese Brown- and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 1996, cat. nos 37a & b, where the author notes that shards of related bowls with partridge feather glazes have been excavated from the second stratum of the Cizhou-type Guantai kilns in Hebei province, see ibid, p. 142. See also a similar bowl illustrated in Michael Sullivan, Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades in the Collection of Sir Alan and Lady Barlow, London, 1963, pl. 53c and another in the collection of the Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Hyogo, included in the exhibition Charm of Black & White Ware: Transition of Cizhou Type Wares, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 2002, cat. no. 149.