Lot 526. A fine 'Longquan' celadon 'Lotus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Estimate 100,000 — 150,000 HKD. Lot sold 475,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.
finely potted, the deep rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot, the exterior subtly moulded with overlapping lotus petals, covered overall with a sea-green glaze, save for the unglazed footring revealing the grey stoneware body, Japanese wood box - 17.4 cm, 6 7/8 in.
Exhibited: Heavenly Blue: Southern Song Celadons, Nezu Museum, Tokyo, 2010, cat. no. 32.
Celadon Now: Techniques and Beauty Handed Down from Southern Song to Today, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 2014, cat. no. I-09.
Notes: A closely related bowl, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 134; one from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Section 7, London, 1997, pl. A211; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 3007. Several lotus bowls of this type of various sizes are illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pls. 539-544, where the author notes that the finest Longquan wares were produced in the Southern Song period and that while this type of bowl was produced in large qualities during the Song and Yuan dynasties, the earlier bowls are distinguished by their clarity of glaze and finely carved petals (see p. 290).
A fine moulded Longquan celadon 'Lotus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Estimate HKD 200,000 - HKD 300,000 (USD 26,000 - USD 39,000). Price Realised HKD 200,000 (USD 25,795) at Christie's, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 November 2011, Hong Kong, lot 3007. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011.
The rounded sides lightly moulded on the exterior with a band of upturned lotus petals, covered overall in a glaze of soft bluish sea-green tone, pooling in the recesses, which ends neatly at the foot, the centre of the base glazed - 5 7/8 in. (14.8 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box
Provenance: A Japanese private collection
Notes: Bowls of this type were made during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and six are illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyingtang Collection vol. 1, London, 1994, pp. 290-1, nos. 539-44. The present bowl appears to be most similar to nos. 539 and 540, which the author dates Southern Song dynasty, in its rounded shape and the broad, rather than narrow carved lotus petals. No. 539 is larger (20.8 cm. diam.) and no. 540 is smaller (13 cm. diam.) than the present bowl. The author describes these two bowls and others of Southern Song date as being more "carefully potted, carved, glazed and fired", than bowls of this type of later, Yuan date, such as nos. 543 and 544.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 02 Dec 2016
NDB: See also
A fine 'Longquan' celadon bowl, Southern Song Dynasty. Sold for 687,500 HKD at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 03 déc. 2015, lot 226. Photo Sotheby's.