唐末/五代 仿邢窰白釉執壺

la panse ovoïde allongée surmontée d'un col en trompette, l'anse arrondie en forme de trois tiges nouées flanquée à l'opposé d'un petit bec verseur fuselé, entièrement couverte d'une belle glaçure blanche translucide tirant légèrement vers le céladon et s'arrêtant au-dessus du pied

1996年3月得自倫敦

The ewer is in overall good condition. There is a ca. 5x7cm wide glaze flaw to the lower part of one side with a ca. 2x4cm wide area unglaze and the pale body visible. There is a ca. 2cm long glaze pull one the lower part of the handle where it joins the body. There is very light overall wear to the glaze. The rim of the spout may have been slightly polished, the glaze on the rim of the ewer a little worn. The glaze is of a slightly more bluish tone than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"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 most distinguishing features of Xing wares are the pure white body and their glossy, translucent glaze which has a tendency to run down the surface in thick glassy drops. The body can range in colour from pure white to creamy-white and can be translucent and resonant. The glaze tends to be thin and may sometimes have an attractive bluish tinge. Surfaces as bright, glossy and smooth as those of the best Tang white wares were known only from precious metals and stones. The Tang connoisseur Lu Yu (739-804/5) likened the qualities of Xing wares to those of silver and snow. During the late Tang, Xing white wares developed and represented the finest ware of the north.

White-glazed ewers of this type such as the present piece have variously been attributed to the Xing and Ding kilns of Hebei province made during the late Tang and Five dynasties. Both wares were extremely popular and dominated the market until the Five Dynasties period when Ding wares replaced Xing wares as the most prominent white ware. As technology advanced during the Song dynasty, wood burning kilns were replaced with coal burning kilns which allowed for a clear glaze to display the full whiteness of the ware. It was during this time that the fame of Xing wares spread abroad and large quantities were exported throughout East Asia, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and North Africa.

Compare a similar ewer attributed to the Xing kilns, formerly in the Kempe Collection, illustrated in Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl. 286, and sold in our London rooms, 14th May 2008, lot 205; compare also a Xing type ewer of this shape and size, sold Sotheby's New York, 13th September 2016, lot 103.

Other ewers of closely related form and glaze include an example in the Royal Ontario Museum, illustrated in Yutaka Mino, Pre-Sung Dynasty Chinese Stonewares of the Royal Ontatio Museum, Toronto, 1974, pl. 66; another ewer was included in the exhibition Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou. White Ding wares from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. no. I-8; a third example is published in Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 315.