A very rare Henan carved bowl, Song Dynasty (AD960-1279). Estimate 100,000 - 150,000 (405,000 - 607,000) (12,900 - 19,300). Photo courtesy Ravenel.
This bowl has a curved belly, and its mouth is embellished with a decorative band wrapping around the vessel. Below that, the belly is adorned with vertical, semicircular lines running towards the center of the bowl and reminiscent of a woven wicker design. The entire body is glazed white inside and out, and the wicker stripes were added by chipping away the finish. The ceramic body is a light gray hue, and has a tight texture. The bowl's shape and decorative patterns are imitative of a wickerwork basket, giving this type of vessel its name: liudou bowl. Liudou designs first appeared in Henan ware around the late Tang, and became popular during the Five Dynasties period. Originally, liudou ware was known for the realism of the wicker weave designs, but by the Song dynasty the figurative patterns had become much stylized and simplified. MD: 13 cm
PROVENANCE: Old Private Hong Kong Collection
Ravenel Spring Auction 2015 Hong Kong. Literati Sublimation - Oriental Arts for the Chinese Scholars. Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 3:30 PM. Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel Boardroom, Mezzanine Floor, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong