A rare Ding-type carved ewer, Five dynasties-early Northern Song dynasty (907-1127)

Note: The present ewer is unusual for its elongated ovoid shape and densely carved decoration. Its form appears to have derived from kundika (‘pure-water bottle’), a metal vessel that was known to have used in Buddhist ceremonies since the Tang dynasty (618-907); see a bronze example in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 328.

White-glazed ewers of this type were known to have been produced at the kilns at the Ding prefecture, modern day Hebei province, from as early as the Five Dynasties period. Early white-glazed wares from these kilns are characterised by the boldly carved design, its depth accentuated by the creamy-ivory colour glaze. Ewers of various forms attributed to the early Northern Song period, were excavated in 1969 from the foundation of Jingzhong Yuan, Dingzhou, Hebei province and preserved in the Dingzhou City Museum, Dingzhou City, including one with a dragon-head spout carved with a band of lappets on the body, and another rendered with stylised scrolls panelled by two bands of lotus petals, illustrated in Zhongguo dingyao/Ding Kiln of China, Beijing, 2012, pls 112 and 114 respectively.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art. London, 07 nov. 2018, 10:30 AM