A molded 'Longquan' celadon vase, Yuan dynasty - Sotheby's
of baluster form, surmounted by a tall neck with trumpet mouth, the ovoid body crisply molded with a wide frieze of blossoms borne on undulating scrolling vines above a band of upright leaves, the neck with conforming motifs beneath a series of concentric rings encircling the mouth, all under a rich celadon-green glaze. Height 17 5/16 in., 44 cm. Estimation: 40,000 - 50,000 USD
PROVENANCE: Sing's Antique Gallery, Hong Kong.
NOTE: Longquan wares with molded and applied decoration first appeared in the late Song dynasty and were produced in large quantities during the Yuan. They were assembled in sections and instead of having a base, their bottom section was closed with an inverted saucer-shaped piece of clay. Compare a similarly shaped yen yen vase from the Percival David Foundation, and now in the British Museum, London, inscribed with the date corresponding to 1327, illustrated in Margaret Medley, Yuan Porcelain and Stoneware, London, 1974, pl. 58.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 19 mars 2013 www.sothebys.com