Page 196 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT ASIAN COLLECTION 五代 / 北宋 青釉刻蓮紋執壺連蓋及鏤空
A RARE CARVED CELADON-GLAZED ‘LOTUS’ 蓮紋溫盌
EWER, COVER AND OPENWORK BASIN
FIVE DYNASTIES / NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY 來源
(3) 香港蘇富比1993年4月27日，編號14
Height 10⅝ in., 27 cm
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 27th April 1993, lot 14.
This superlative ewer, representative of the finest
craftsmanship of the period, is crisply carved on each side
with a large formal lotus flower borne on an encircling leafy
scroll above a band of overlapping upright lotus petals
skirting the foot. The front of the facetted curved spout is
decorated with an applied horned and bearded mask, its
eyes and a spot on the forehead picked-out in iron-brown.
Echoing the ewer, the deep basin is pierced around the
sides with four similar blooms above a band of overlapping
upright petals.
No other celadon-glazed ewer or basin of this type with
openwork decoration appears to be recorded and it is
similarly rare to find other greenwares with this bold style
of carving.Before the Yuan Dynasty, pierced openwork
decoration was rarely used as a purely decorative feature,
and was generally functional, serving a purpose such as on
incense burners.While the usual type of warming basin with
solid walls is believed to have been filled with hot water to
keep the wine in the ewer warm, the present piece may have
been made for burning embers.

$ 100,000-150,000

388 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275 389